Forbidden Romance
by PurpleCoverseAnnabeth
Summary: Annabeth's older stepsister, Thalia, is due to marry Prince Luke of Greece. Thalia knows what is expected of her, and wants to be the queen that she is expected to be. Annabeth is very unhappy. Then she meets Perseus, an army official. They fall in love, to Thalia's dismay. Now Luke wants to worship other gods. Will their love survive tragedy and everything else thrown at them?
1. Chapter 1

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 1: Saying goodbye, and then hello.

**A.N.: **_hello again! I told you I would try to have this up quickly, and I'm sorry it took longer than expected. I have had a ton of AdMaths to finish this week and I've been incredibly stressed. I honestly didn't think that it would take up so much of my time, but unfortunately, it does. I won't continue with it next year though due to the expense and that fact that I have to sacrifice writing time to finish it when I'm not even thinking about a career that I need to study maths for. Anyway, rant over._

_Before you start reading this story please note that I have made this up completely. I got the original idea from a book, but it was Egyptian mythology, not Greek. _

_This is entirely fiction and is not how Roman mythology came out, but an idea that I had before I researched anything about it. _

_In the summary, it says that Luke wants to worship new gods. Those will be the Roman gods. His reason for wanting to do this will be revealed later in the story. Everyone else worships the Greek gods. _

_Also note that Thalia probably will be a little bit out of character, but it is only to fit with the story if she is. I will try to keep her as in character as possible._

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Annabeth watched as everything she knew was loaded up onto a boat to be transported away from the only home she had ever know. The vase her stepmother had received as a wedding present, the carpet that had laid in the hallway all her life, and the wooden crates containing all her building designs were all loaded onto the wooden vessel. The boat wasn't huge, but big enough to carry the family of four and all their most precious belongings.

Annabeth watched as more furniture was packed onto the boat. She sighed. Everything she was familiar with was being packed up and shipped off. And it was all Thalia's fault.

Well, not really Thalia's fault, but more Annabeth's father's. After all, it was him who had organised Annabeth's stepsister's arranged marriage to the prince. Being a smart and rich nobleman, Frederick had easily been able to convince the king and queen that his stepdaughter was a perfect match for the prince. When the king had demanded to see if the prospective wife for the prince was really as beautiful as Frederick had said, Thalia was immediately summoned to the palace. The king decided that she would be a perfect match and agreed to let the marriage take place. On the condition that the rest of the family moved into the palace as well.

Most young women were dismayed at being married off, but not Thalia. Thalia was strangely enthusiastic about her situation. When Annabeth had asked about it, Thalia had explained that this way she was guaranteed a husband.

"But you always said that you never wanted to marry," Annabeth had reminded her older sister.

"Every women has to marry sooner or later, it just took me a while to realise it," said Thalia. "And it's the _prince_ who I'm set to marry. Have you never seen paintings or statues of him? He's extremely handsome."

Thalia was almost gushing when she had said this, which was strange because Annabeth had never seen her sister act like that before. Thalia had always been independent and carefree. Whenever any of the boys in town had flirted with her, she had simply pretended not to notice and ignored them.

Thalia was an extraordinarily beautiful daughter of Zeus. She had shocking blue eyes, creamy skin and hair that reached her shoulders and was so dark brown that it almost looked black. She was strange looking for a Greek girl with her blue eyes, but not as strange as Annabeth.

Annabeth had beautiful long curly blonde hair, tanned skin and startling grey eyes that she inherited from her mother, Athena. People often stared at her when she walked through town, but she had learned to ignore them.

Annabeth's father had fallen in love with the goddess Athena, who then left him with a child, just as Zeus had fallen in love with Thalia's mother. When the two mortal parents had married, Annabeth had been six years old and Thalia nine. The two girls had almost instantly become good friends, although Annabeth always felt as if she were walking in Thalia's shadow.

After Thalia found out about her stepfather setting her up to marry the prince, she immediately became much more interested in the idea of being a wife. Thalia was always around her mother (Annabeth's stepmother), Leila, trying to gather as much information and advice as she possibly could.

Leila was a homeopath. She knew which plants and herbs could heal septic wounds, soothe burns, prevent or stop pregnancy and even help conception. Thalia had never been interested in that sort of thing before, but she had decided that even though there would be healers at the palace, it wouldn't hurt to know a few things about medicine.

Annabeth on the other hand had always been fascinated by the natural remedies (as well as architecture). She had learned everything her stepmother could possibly teach her and knew how to apply that knowledge as well. Healing was a hobby. Designing buildings was a passion. Annabeth's father had even gone so far as to hire her a tutor, which was mostly frowned upon.

"Why do you want to waste an education on the girl?" Leila had wanted to know. "There is no reason to spend the extra money!"

"Why not?" Frederick argued. "She loves to learn and it makes me happy to see her doing something she enjoys."

Frederick's comment had ended the conversation. It wasn't spoken about again and Annabeth happily began her studies.

"Annabeth, darling!" called Frederick, bringing his daughter out of her thoughts. "We need to leave now if we want to arrive at the palace on time."

"Yes, of course, Father," she replied as she turned her back on the house she had grown up in, everything she was familiar with, and boarded the boat that would take her to a new life.

Annabeth had begged to be allowed to stay, but Leila had argued that it wasn't advisable to leave a sixteen-year-old girl alone and far away from her family.

"What would the royal family think, us leaving you here?" she said, sounding appalled at the idea of Annabeth being alone. "You are coming with us because the king and queen demanded it, and that is final."

After Annabeth had boarded the boat she took her seat next to her stepsister, across from her father.

"I don't see why we all have to leave as well," she stated. "Only Thalia is marrying the prince, not all of us."

Frederick laughed at his daughter's wit, but Leila looked at her with an extremely irritated expression.

"It is an honour to be asked to live in the palace. I would think that someone like yourself would be a little more grateful at being given the opportunity."

Annabeth's shoulder slumped, and the sleeve of her dress slipped down her shoulder, exposing her tanned skin. She quickly pulled it back up before it could fall too far and expose too much. When she looked up, she saw the familiar surroundings of her home slowly start to disappear, being replaced with scenery she had never seen before. Luckily Leila hadn't seen her sleeve fall.

In the hot sun her wrists began to perspire underneath her golden bangles. Annabeth took one off and put it back on again. She repeated the process with the other bangle. It did nothing to stop the horrible stickiness on her skin, but it did give her hands something to do.

The rest of her family talked during the journey, but Annabeth sat quietly and watched the crystal clear water move past the boat. Once or twice Thalia asked her opinion on ideas for her wedding gown and makeup, but other than that Annabeth avoided all conversation. She was already feeling very homesick.

The afternoon was uneventful. Annabeth read a book about different natural remedies, Thalia talked about her wedding with Leila some more and Frederick sat in silence.

He was worried about Annabeth. She was his favourite, being his biological daughter, but he had still raised Thalia as his own. Frederick was concerned about how Annabeth would handle life in the palace. She had always preferred simplicity and quiet, whereas Thalia was loud and extravagant. Life as royalty would suit the older sister, but not the younger.

_I can only hope that she will adjust, _Frederick decided. _She will learn to sooner or later. Worrying won't help._

XXXX

The family spent the night aboard the boat and arrived at the palace early the following afternoon. Annabeth hadn't slept well, being away from home and on water. After dinner, seasickness had been inevitable. When they were disembarking she could barely stand up straight. Luckily, her father was right behind her. If he hadn't been, Annabeth would have fallen into the water when she stumbled on her way down the gangplank.

The welcome party consisted off the king and queen accompanied by a dozen servants. While introductions were being made, the servants began to move the belongings off the boat into the palace. Annabeth's eyes trailed after a woman who had picked up her crate of designs, and she had her first good look at the palace.

It was a beautiful building made of white marble and decorated with colourful tiles. There were many windows cut into the walls, and it appeared that each room had a balcony. Annabeth could see curtains made of light fabric being blown out the windows in the slight breeze and plants growing in pots in the corners of the balconies.

Annabeth was so busy admiring her new home that she didn't realise that her father had introduced her to the king and queen.

"Darling," he whispered to her as he gently nudged her side.

"Oh!" exclaimed Annabeth as her cheeks began to heat up. "I apologise. It's a pleasure to meet you Your Majesty's." She curtsied and dipped her head before going back to staring at the spectacle in front of her.

"Forgive my sister," Thalia said, rushing to try and make amends. "She has a passion, or rather obsession, for architecture."

"Oh, I see," said the king while nodding his head. Then, "You've had her educated?" he asked Frederick.

"She is exceptionally clever, Your Majesty," replied Annabeth's father. "My daughter loves to learn and seeing her happy makes me happy in return. I couldn't say no when she asked."

The king nodded his head again. "As long as she doesn't abuse the privilege, she may continue her studies while in the palace."

Although she had been zoned out for most of the conversation, Annabeth had heard the king's last sentence.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" she exclaimed, a brilliant smile gracing her lips.

In that moment when Annabeth smiled, the queen thought that she was even more beautiful than Thalia, who stood with a face of stone. Thalia only wore her deadpan expression to give the impression that she was calm and collected. She didn't want to appear amazed at what lay before her or awed by whose presence she stood in.

"Come," said the queen, taking Thalia by the arm. "Luke awaits you."

Thalia flashed a smile at her family before letting herself be dragged away. She had tried to make it seem genuine, but Annabeth knew that it was a forced one and the queen could see that it didn't reach her eyes.

"I'll see you at dinner," Thalia called before disappearing with the queen.

Although Thalia had told everyone different, she was scared about being married off. She had only pretended to be happy, and she had managed to fool her sister, who usually saw through everything.

But Annabeth had only been partially fooled. She was sure that Thalia wasn't as happy about her future as she made out to be. As much as she wanted to call her sister out on this, Annabeth had no real proof, so she decided to let Thalia's behaviour slide until she could gather some more confirmation.

"Come," said the king. "You must all be tired and hungry." He clapped his hands together twice, and a servant appeared next to him.

"You will shown to your quarters and summoned for dinner later."

Then the king turned and walked off, leaving them with the servant who led them to a section of the palace reserved for them.

Annabeth walked through the hallways in total awe. The palace was a beautiful piece of architecture. She had the feeling that she would never get used to this life, no matter how hard she tried.

XXXX

**A.N.: **_so, what do you think of the first chapter? This is a very long first chapter compared to Outlaw, which was only 999 words long…_

_My brother came into my room so I minimized the word document and started playing solitaire. He saw the tab at the bottom, read the title and goes: "Oh, you're writing a book?" _

_I didn't really want to explain FanFiction to him, so I just said it's not a book, its 'something'. Nobody actually knows about me writing FanFictions. A few of my friends know that I've been writing some stuff, but not what it is. Same as my mum and brother. _

_I was asked about an Outlaw sequel, but I unfortunately won't be writing one. Another review from _**aleba **_said that I really kept the plot, which was really strange to hear (read), because I've always worried that I would stray from the plot, like so many other fictions do. _

_So, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter of Outlaw, it means a lot!_

_And I hope that you all enjoy this story as much._

_Until next time (:_


	2. Chapter 2

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 2

**A.N.: **_thank you to all ten of you who reviewed the first chapter! I'm so happy that you like the story already. _

_Pregnantnun27, Fictiongal232, hambakhachana, Mighty Ruler of Gummi Bears and NerdBird83: thank you for the reviews! I hope you enjoy the rest_

_Almond: thank you for reviewing and enjoying it! Also, thank you for the idea, I plan on using it or doing something similar…_

_fanficrulz1: thanks for the review! No, Rachel won't be in this story._

_Tajee165: thank you for reviewing Outlaw and this! Your review made me smile lots (: some of them will be demigods, but not everybody. Thalia, Annabeth and Percy are. I was going to make Luke one, but he couldn't really be the prince if the king wasn't his father… I might decide to make him a demigod later though._

_Louisa4533: luckily my mum doesn't pry, unlike my dad and brother. But you're completely right, they don't need to know (; and I hope this will be better than Outlaw! Thanks for reviewing_

_Jackattack5478: you had me fooled! For a second I thought you hated it, haha! And don't worry, I knew that you meant like a friend :P_

_I've still been receiving reviews for Outlaw, which make me really happy :D anyway, here is the second chapter…_

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Annabeth awoke in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat. Her nightmare was forgotten. She only remembered that it had been terrifying.

She ran her fingers through her curly hair, which was damp from her perspiration. The young woman sighed and rolled over, trying to get back to sleep. She glanced out of her window and saw the bright silver moon shining on the water. She and her parents had been lucky enough to receive rooms with beautiful views of the sea.

Thalia was staying in the room next door to her. She would only share quarters with Luke once they were married.

Annabeth shivered from the cool wind blowing softly through the window and pulled her silk sheet closer to her body. It was strange to think that in less than a month her sister would be married. And not even to someone who she truly loved.

Then a wave of realisation hit Annabeth. It would be her soon. Her who would be expected to marry a total (wealthy) stranger to upkeep the family name and fortune. Her father would find her a rich man, possibly much older than her, whom she would be forced to spend her life with.

Annabeth began to feel sick as she thought of what was expected of married women. _Children. _

But it wasn't the children that made her feel this way. It was the process that she would be forced through to have children.

_I don't want that, _she said to herself. _If I marry, I want it to be for love. _

The daughter of Athena had never been a romantic person, but the idea of what her future could be shocked her. Annabeth promised herself that if her father found a husband for her who she did not love with all her heart, she would run away.

"Don't be so dramatic, Annabeth," she scolded herself out loud. "Someone would find you."

She sighed and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Annabeth stood up and walked towards the balcony. When she reached the railing and leaned over, she heard someone's footsteps behind her.

She turned around to see her older stepsister, standing in the doorway with tired eyes.

"Couldn't you sleep?" Annabeth asked.

Thalia shook her head before sitting down at the end of Annabeth's bed.

"I'm scared, Annabeth," Thalia admitted. Only after the words had left her mouth did she realise what she had said. It then occurred to her that she would have to come clean about her feelings concerning her marriage with the prince to her sister.

"I don't want to get married."

Annabeth frowned at her sister's sudden confession and walked back inside to sit next to Thalia on the end of her bed.

"But you told me that you couldn't be happier just the other day," Annabeth reminded her.

"I know but…" Thalia trailed off, her voice turning to a whisper. "I don't know the first thing about being a wife."

"But Leila was teaching you things before we left home," Annabeth remembered. "Won't that help?"

"Yes, but I still don't know a thing about being with a man," Thalia said, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "What if I don't do things properly? What if I don't please him?"

Annabeth felt her face heat up while a nauseous feeling begin in her stomach. She did not want to have this conversation with her sister. How was she supposed to know any more than Thalia did on this matter?

"Thalia…"

"I know, I know," Thalia interrupted. "I shouldn't have told you these things."

Annabeth sighed. "Its alright. But this can't be the only thing bothering you."

"Well," Thalia said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I wish it was somebody I love, but I can't change that."

Annabeth had never known that her sister would prefer to marry for love. After all, Thalia had never said so and had always wanted to remain unmarried.

"I know." Annabeth didn't know what else to say. "I don't want an arranged marriage either."

"There's always the chance that you won't be forced into one."

The two sisters sat in silence for a minute before Annabeth broke it.

"Can you stay with me tonight? I'm not used to the palace yet."

Thalia sighed, but still lay down under the silk sheet and motioned for Annabeth to lie next to her. Thalia fell asleep instantly, but Annabeth stayed awake thinking about what Thalia had said.

She watched her sister sleep peacefully. She looked younger in her sleep, and far more beautiful.

_I wonder if I also look younger and more beautiful? _was Annabeth's last thought before a peaceful sleep overtook her for the rest of the night.

XXXX

The next morning when Annabeth woke up, Thalia was gone. Annabeth started when she saw that a maid was already cleaning her room.

"Who are you?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

The maid turned around quickly, startled, to face the girl who now sat up in bed with the sheet tangled around her legs.

"I am Agathe, madam," the maid introduced herself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," Annabeth apologised. "It's just a shock to wake up and find someone in your room. And please, call me Annabeth."

Agathe nodded her head and smiled. Annabeth noticed that the maid wasn't a young woman, but looked to be around the same age as her stepmother. Agathe had a kind face with a beautiful smile, which lit up her slightly aged face and highlighted the wrinkles that had formed from laughing over the years.

"Well, Annabeth," began the maid. "I have been given the job of looking after you."

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Annabeth. She was pleased that the maid assigned to her was friendly and seemed kind.

"Breakfast is in the main dining hall. I am to help you dress and then show you there," Agathe said while she rearranged various bottles on Annabeth's dresser.

Annabeth climbed out of bed and stretched her arms above her head.

"Why do you need to help me dress? I _can _do it myself," she teased with a smile.

Agathe smiled back. "Some of the chitons are difficult to fasten without help," she explained. "So we had better get you dressed or you'll be late to breakfast."

Annabeth stripped out of the gown she had slept in and quickly washed in the basin of water that Agathe had prepared for her. When she had washed and dried herself, the maid helped her to put on a chiton. It was a beautiful one, made out of fine material with gold stitching. The belt used to fasten it was made of leather, as were the sandals that Agathe helped to tie. Annabeth put on her gold bracelets and a necklace that Athena had sent her as a gift while Agathe braided her hair down her back. The braid was fastened with a piece of gold material. Agathe applied a light layer of makeup (despite Annabeth's protests).

When she was ready, Agathe lead Annabeth to a full-length mirror to see what she looked like.

"Wow," the young woman gasped. "Thank you, Agathe."

"My pleasure, Annabeth." The maid looked very pleased with her work and Annabeth's reaction. "But we had better get you to the dining hall soon or the king and queen will grow impatient."

The maid led Annabeth down many hallways and flights of stairs before they arrived outside the entrance to the dining hall.

At the worried look on Annabeth's face, Agathe chuckled. "Would you like me to meet you here when breakfast is over?"

"Yes please," Annabeth replied with a slight blush. "I've already forgotten the way here."

The maid laughed at her young mistress' honesty. Agathe decided that she would probably get on very well with the girl.

XXXX

When Annabeth took her seat next to her father, she observed the prince who sat at the end of the table. He had blonde hair, like her, but it was darker and straight and his eyes were blue. He had a scar that ran down his left cheek, from underneath his eye to his upper lip. Despite the battle reminder, he was still fairly handsome, but Annabeth didn't find him attractive. Maybe it was the cold glint in his eyes.

When she had greeted him, the king and the queen, she had received no recognition from the prince. Annabeth got the feeling that she would not enjoy being in Luke's company.

Then she noticed that Thalia wasn't at the table yet.

"Where is Thalia?" she asked.

"Still getting ready. I swear to the gods, that girl takes forever," Leila muttered.

"Dear, she must look her best for the prince," Frederick reminded his wife in an almost silent whisper. "I'm sure she will be here soon," he said in his normal voice.

Just then, Thalia walked into the room.

"I apologise for my tardiness," she said with a beautiful smile.

Prince Luke's face lit up at the site of her.

"Not a problem, milady," he said, waving off her pardon.

Thalia smiled brighter and took her seat next to the prince.

Breakfast was uneventful, and Annabeth felt excluded from the conversation. But then she didn't make any effort to be apart of it either. Breakfast was a feast of fresh fruit, bread, yoghurt and honey, and whenever a dish was beginning to empty, another full one replaced it.

After eating her fill, Annabeth asked to be excused from the table. She was granted permission, and gracefully left her seat and the dining hall.

True to her word, Agathe was waiting for her outside.

"Did you enjoy breakfast, miss?" she maid asked.

"The food was enjoyable," Annabeth replied. "I was left out of the conversation entirely."

Agathe gave Annabeth a look of understanding.

"Would you like to go back to your room or wonder the grounds today?" she asked.

"Maybe you could show me back to my room and I can explore from there?" Annabeth suggested.

"Of course," Agathe replied with a nod.

XXXX

**A.N.: **_I hope you guys liked this chapter too. And don't worry, Percy will be making his entrance soon enough. _

_I actually Google-d Greek names for girls to find "Agathe". It means "good" which is why I chose it. No spoilers, but she will become good friends with our favourite daughter of Athena._

_As usual, the next update will probably be next weekend, but I will try to have it up ASAP. _

_Thanks for reading (:_


	3. Chapter 3

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 3

**A.N.: **_I'm baaaack! :D _

_First: thank you so much to everybody who reviewed! Fifteen + reviews for the last chapter. But a special shout out to_ **Jackattack5478**! _Thank you for the HUGE rating you gave in the review and everything! _

_Ambassador of Hades asked about the names. I know that Annabeth, Frederick and Percy aren't Greek. As far as I know, Thalia is a name from a myth. I didn't change any names in case it caused some confusion, so I left the main characters with their original names. Percy will be Perseus in this story so it sounds more authentic. Any of my own characters (if they are named) will have Greek names. _

_If there are any questions, send me a PM or ask in a review._

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Annabeth realised that she was lost as soon as she had left her room and turned the corner at the end of the hallway and then turned another corner. She felt like she was walking in circles for ages and her feet had begun to blister from the leather sandals. Strands of hair had come loose and had fallen out of the braid. Annabeth could feel beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

She wiped away the perspiration with the back of her hand and sighed. All Annabeth wanted was to go home. One night in this palace confirmed that she didn't like it here at all. Her father had insisted that she would get used to it, but Annabeth wasn't so sure.

She warily turned another corner and emerged out into a garden. Annabeth's breath caught in her throat as she took in the beautiful sight before her.

There was no roof above the garden, letting the sunlight filter in uninterrupted. Creeper plants used sticks in the ground turned to make walls, which in turn, formed a mini labyrinth in the centre. Benches had been placed in sunny and shady spots all around the garden. Every kind of plant that Annabeth knew of was planted in the palace garden, as well as many she didn't know.

Annabeth walked towards a bench that had been positioned under a Cyprus tree and in front of a pool of clear water. She sat down on the bench and undid the fastenings of her sandals. Once they were removed, Annabeth stood up off the bench and then sat down at the waters edge and placed her sore feet into the cool water. She sighed in satisfaction.

Annabeth undid her braid and then gathered all her hair up in a bunch and tied it up in a loose bun to keep it off her hot neck. But the sun was still hot on her skin, and soon she was beginning to dehydrate.

Annabeth wondered if it would be safe to drink the water from the pool. It wasn't stagnant, nor did it smell or have a strange colour, so she decided that it would be fine. She cupped her hands and gathered some of the crystal water in her palms before taking a cautious sip. The water was cool and soothed her dry throat and mouth. Annabeth was just about to have another drink when a familiar voice called out to her.

"There you are!" called Agathe. "I've been looking for you for ages."

Annabeth smiled up at the woman. "Thank you for looking. I got lost," she explained.

The maid laughed. "From now on, if you ever get lost again wait here for me," she said. "I promise that I will come and find you."

Annabeth smiled at her maid's concern for her. "Of course, Agathe."

"Come on, you're late to lunch."

XXXX

Lunch went the same way as breakfast. The only difference was that Luke's mind kept drifting. He was intrigued at his fiancé's beauty and her sister's oddness. Annabeth was also beautiful, but Luke knew that they would never see eye to eye. He got the feeling that she would greatly interfere with his plans. Thalia had told Luke that she and Annabeth were demigods, so he knew that it might be difficult to get them to support his idea.

Luke was brought back to the conversation when his mother asked about food and beverages for the wedding guests.

"Mother, I don't mind. Whatever Thalia wants," he replied while giving his-bride-to-be a dazzling smile that she happily (and somewhat shyly) returned.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at the way in which Luke was trying to win Thalia over. Luckily nobody noticed her, and she went back to her food.

Leila had been extremely annoyed with her for being late to lunch, while Frederick had just been happy to see that she was okay. When Agathe had told him that Annabeth was lost, he became very anxious that she might be hurt somewhere. So instead of being upset that she had caused the king, queen and prince to wait for their meal, he had just been relieved that she was fine.

Annabeth picked at her food, not eating much. She was tired of being left out of the conversation, so when she had eaten a little more she excused herself. Agathe was waiting outside to escort her back to her room.

"What would you like to do for the afternoon, Annabeth?" Agathe asked.

"I think I'll just read for a while and then maybe design something," she replied.

Agathe nodded in response, noticing Annabeth's unhappiness and they spent the rest of the walk in silence.

"I'll be back to help you get ready for dinner later," she assured Annabeth.

"Thank you," Annabeth said before walking into her room. She picked up a book and went to sit on the balcony and read.

XXXX

All too soon Agathe was back to help Annabeth get ready for dinner. Once again Annabeth tried to convince her maid that she didn't need make up or help, but Agathe was adamant that she assist Annabeth in getting ready.

Agathe once again escorted Annabeth down to the dining hall and promised to meet her afterwards. But dinner went differently to breakfast and lunch.

Annabeth was the subject of conversation this time.

"When are you going to look for a husband for Annabeth?" asked the queen. "She needs to marry before she gets too old and can no longer bear sons."

Annabeth felt herself blush and avoided looking at anyone.

"Well, I haven't really considered anyone for Annabeth yet," he admitted. "She is only sixteen."

"Yes, but you can't wait forever to marry her off," interrupted the king. "As a matter of fact, I know of a man who is looking for a wife."

Annabeth had heard enough. She jumped up from the table and stormed out of the dining hall. She ran out of the doorway and then leaned her back against the wall.

"Please forgive my daughter," she heard her father say in a pained voice. "She has never been fond of the idea of an arranged marriage."

Annabeth sighed. She knew that her behaviour was causing her father a lot of trouble, and she felt guilty because she was the cause of the trouble. If she could just get used to palace life…

"That girl needs to learn her place," she heard the prince say. "She needs to grow up."

Annabeth couldn't listen to people planning her life or talking behind her back. She ran through the palace and eventually found the garden she had discovered that morning.

She made her way over to the bench she had occupied for a short while earlier. As the pool came into view, she saw that somebody was already sitting there. By the silhouette, Annabeth could see that it was a man.

He looked tall and muscular and appeared to be wearing armour and had a sword leaning against his leg. As afraid as she was, Annabeth was curious as to who this man was. So against her better judgement, she continued walking towards the stranger.

The man must have heard her footsteps because he picked up his sword and turned towards her.

"Who's there?" he asked. His voice was warm and deep. Annabeth found herself replying just to hear him speak again.

"Annabeth, daughter of Frederick," she replied cautiously. "My sister is the fiancé of Prince Luke."

The stranger put his sword away and stood to face her. At that moment, the clouds moved and the moon shone on his face. Annabeth felt her breath leave her as she took in his appearance.

The strange man's hair was messy and as black as midnight. His face was handsome and his body was strong and muscular. But his eyes were what caught Annabeth's attention. They were as green as the sea, and she felt as though she couldn't avert her stare. But he also reminded her of someone.

The man was just as intrigued by Annabeth's appearance. Her grey eyes were so intense he also couldn't look away. And her hair was beautiful, no matter how strange it was for a Greek girl to be blonde.

"I'm Perseus," he introduced himself. "I am a commander in the King's army."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Perseus," Annabeth replied.

"Likewise."

They still could not tear their eyes from each other.

"Would you care to join me, Annabeth?" Perseus asked, standing and motioning to the bench.

Annabeth smiled. "Thank you," she said before walking over and sitting down next to him.

They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the company. Then Annabeth realised who Perseus reminded her of. She had seen statues and paintings of him before. It should have been obvious.

"Poseidon," she whispered.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Poseidon," Annabeth repeated. "You look just like him."

A look of panic came over Perseus's handsome features.

"You're a demigod, aren't you?" whispered Annabeth. "Poseidon is your father."

Perseus nodded. "Yes," he said quietly. "Nobody knows about my father except for you now."

"My mother is Athena," Annabeth admitted. "I know what it's like to be different."

They sat quietly for a while before Perseus broke the silence.

"Why aren't you at dinner?" he asked.

"I left half way through," Annabeth shyly admitted. "The King was trying to convince my father to marry me off. I didn't want to listen to them talking about me like that."

"Like what?" asked the commander.

"Like I wasn't in the room. Like they have the right to control my life. Like what I want doesn't even matter," she explained. "I already had to leave my home just because Thalia is marrying the prince."

Perseus listened in silence.

"No father would ever want his daughter to marry me," he admitted. "No father would want his daughter around a son of one of the Big Three. And I'm not a nobleman, I don't have money. I'm too dangerous."

"I don't want to marry someone wealthy and twice my age," Annabeth stated.

"What's the oldest a man can be before he is too old?" asked Perseus with a slight smile.

"I don't want a husband more than ten years older than me, then he would be too old," Annabeth replied.

"How old are you?" Perseus asked. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude."

"It's alright," Annabeth said with a smile. "I'm sixteen."

"Well," began Perseus. He paused, wondering if he should risk saying what he was planning on saying. "I'm twenty one, that's only five years older."

Annabeth laughed, and it was music to his ears.

"Are you asking for my hand?" she asked.

"No! No, I…" he trailed off.

"I'm teasing you," Annabeth said with a grin on her face.

Perseus laughed along with her. He hadn't felt so relaxed or happy in a long time.

"It feels nice to laugh like this," he admitted to her. "I haven't felt so relaxed in a long time."

"Me too," Annabeth replied with a smile. She was surprised at how well she was getting on with this man who she had just met.

"Maybe we could meet again?" Perseus said as he stood up to leave.

"Of course," Annabeth responded. "I would like that."

Perseus smiled as he took her hand and helped her up.

"Until we meet again," he said before kissing her hand.

Annabeth felt herself blush as she watched him walk away.

_Why do I feel like this? _she wondered. _I can't be in love with him, I just met him!_

Although as much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, Annabeth knew that she had strong feelings for Perseus, even though she had just met him. she also had the feeling that she would quickly grow to love Perseus.

**A.N.: **_that is a long chapter. _

_Thank you (again) to all my reviewers! I appreciate the time you take to just tell me that you like this story. _

_A few weeks ago, I mentioned a one-shot about Rachel, which I s still not up even though I said then that it would be up soon and it still isn't. I'm still working on it, but I want to have it up really soon. _

_Thank you for reading and I will have the next chapter up next week sometime (:_


	4. Chapter 4

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 4

**A.N.: **_this is the first chance I've gotten to finish and update this all week! I'm so sorry for the long wait… but thank you for all the reviews! 43 reviews in three chapters is amazing in my opinion!_

_To those of you who haven't read _**Outcasts **_yet, please go read it! I would really appreciate it (:_

_Arrow of Artemis asked about the age gap between Percy and Annabeth. I don't know if it a rule or anything, but yes, it is for the story. It will cause some drama later…_

_In reply to crazylove27, I know that Percy was a bit OCC in the last chapter. it was sort of difficult to write, but he will be more in character once he has gotten to know Annabeth a bit more, so don't worry (:_

**Disclaimer: **_I realised that I keep forgetting to put these in, but you guys know that I don't own the Percy Jackson books. Believe me, you would know if I did on them, there would be more Percabeth and fewer Rick-hangers. _

XXXX

"Annabeth, I was worried sick!" exclaimed Frederick as his daughter entered her room. He closed the distance between them in five long strides and pulled Annabeth into a bone-crushing hug.

To say that Frederick was relieved that his daughter had arrived safely in her room after he had been waiting for almost two hours was an understatement.

"I'm fine, Father, really," the girl insisted, trying to break free of her father's grasp.

Frederick sighed and released her.

"I thought maybe you had run away or something had happened to you," he explained.

"I'm very sorry that I worried you," Annabeth said sincerely.

"Its alright," her father replied as he pulled her in for another hug. "Just promise me that you won't rush out of the dining hall again."

"I promise that I will _try_ not to. But it might be difficult."

Frederick laughed. "Thank you, love."

Annabeth smiled at her father. "Its late, you should get some rest."

Frederick yawned as he nodded his agreement.

"I'll see you in the morning, Anna," he said before leaving the room.

Once her father had left, Annabeth flopped down onto her bed and lay on her back staring at the ceiling. Soon her mind was so preoccupied with images of the handsome man she had met that night in the garden, that she didn't notice Agathe calling her name until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Annabeth jumped before she looked over at her maid and attempted to steady her breathing and heart rate.

"Oh, Agathe," she said while sitting up and leaning back onto her elbows. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry, Annabeth," said Agathe as she sat down next to the young woman. "But you didn't seem to hear me calling. What's on your mind?"

Annabeth felt her face flush slightly and looked away.

"I was just thinking about what happened at dinner tonight," she said, attempting to hide what was really on her mind.

Agathe smiled knowingly when she saw Annabeth's blush.

"It's a man, isn't it." she stated.

"No, of course not," said Annabeth, unconvincingly because her face reddened even more. "That's silly."

Agathe raised her eyebrows and looked at Annabeth. Annabeth broke their eye contact, afraid of what the maid might see swimming in her eyes, and reached over to the side table where there was a goblet of water. She realised how thirsty she really was.

"So then it was just another blonde Greek girl who I saw in the garden with Commander Perseus then?"

Annabeth began choking on the water that she had just sipped, and Agathe quickly patted her on the back.

After recovering from her choking fit, Annabeth sighed and looked down at her hands.

"Alright, so maybe it was me," she admitted, still refusing to look at Agathe.

Agathe laughed.

"He is a very handsome man," she stated nonchalantly.

"I-I didn't really notice," Annabeth stammered. "It was too dark to see him properly."

"It's full moon tonight and there is no roof over the garden, of course you noticed!"

Annabeth laughed at her maid's eagerness.

"So how much did you actually see?" Annabeth asked cautiously.

"I saw him help you up and kiss your hand before he left," Agathe replied. "I also saw you blush and then start spinning around like a girl in love with a huge grin in your face."

Annabeth felt her face grow even redder. She was sure that she had never blushed so much in all her life before moving to the palace. _I need to learn how to control my blush,_ she decided.

"Alright, so it was me," she finally admitted. "But I'm not in love with him, I just met him for Zeus' sake!"

Agathe smiled her knowing smile.

"Trust me, dear," she said matter-of-factly, "it won't be long and you'll be saying otherwise."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and decided not to reply, because her maid would only insist that she was right and Annabeth was wrong.

"Come on," said Agathe. "I'll help you get ready for bed."

XXXX

After a long process of undressing, redressing into sleeping clothes, brushing her hair and then having it braided again, Annabeth was finally able to go to sleep, where her dreams were of a man with sea green eyes and raven hair.

In the dream she was marrying him, and she was happy. In the dream her father had chosen her husband and it was someone she loved. But then all of a sudden the black hair turned blonde and the green eyes blue, and Prince Luke was standing before her.

Annabeth tried to run, but all of a sudden she was bound to a bed and Luke stood before her, an evil, hungry look in his eyes.

XXXX

"Annabeth! Wake up!"

Annabeth's eyes shot open and she saw the worried face of Agathe in front of her face. She raised a hand to her forehead and realised that she was drenched in sweat.

"You were having a nightmare," Agathe explained with worry in her eyes. "You started screaming, and I couldn't wake you up…"

Annabeth sighed. _It was just a dream, _she told herself. _Just a dream. _

Agathe handed her a scrap of material, and Annabeth realised that she had been crying too. She quickly wiped her eyes and forehead before handing the material back to the maid.

"Would you like to talk about it?" asked Agathe.

Annabeth took a deep shuddering breath before she began to speak.

"In the dream I was marrying Perseus, and I was happy about it," she recalled. "My father had arranged the marriage, but I didn't mind. But then he turned into the prince." She shuddered at the memory and Agathe nodded, motioning for her to continue.

"I tried to run away, but the next thing I knew I was tied to a bed and he was coming towards me like…" she trailed off. Annabeth took a deep breath to compose herself and stop the tears.

"Its alright," the maid soothed her. "That won't happen, I promise you."

Annabeth calmed down quickly and Agathe helped her get ready for breakfast.

"I don't feel like going," Annabeth said while Agathe did her hair. "Can't I just eat in my room? I don't want to listen to them deciding my life again."

"I know, dear. But I'm sure your father will take your feelings into consideration before choosing a husband," Agathe assured her. "After all, you are his favourite."

Annabeth laughed without humour. "Of course I am, Agathe," she replied somewhat sarcastically.

"I'm serious, sweet. He cares for you much more than he does your sister."

Annabeth decided against arguing, it wouldn't get them anywhere.

XXXX

She sat through breakfast in silence. Her future wasn't discussed at all and the royals took no notice of her whatsoever. Instead, Thalia was the centre of attention. The topic of conversation throughout the meal was the wedding. Again.

"It should be on the beach," decided the queen. "Beautiful, and very romantic! Aphrodite couldn't think of a more romantic place to wed."

Thalia blushed and looked at her plate while Luke smirked in that stuck-up way of his.

"I agree completely, Mother," he said.

"Yes," said Thalia looking up to meet the queen's gaze. "A wedding on the beach would be beautiful."

The queen looked very pleased with herself for coming up with such an amazing wedding idea, and continued to wear a smug look throughout the meal.

When breakfast was finally over, Annabeth was barely able to stop herself from jumping up and running to the garden. She tried to tell herself that it had nothing to do with the handsome commander she had met the night before, but Annabeth soon realised that her reason for going back was a longing to see him again.

Annabeth daydreamed about Perseus the whole way to the garden, and she was extremely disappointed that he wasn't there when she arrived.

_He's probably busy, _she reasoned. _He can't spend his whole life in the garden waiting to see me again._

But Annabeth really wished that he had waited there for her.

XXXX

After dinner that night, Annabeth went out to the garden again. She walked over to the bench they had sat on together and wondered about when she would see him again. Perseus still wasn't there. She wondered if he had gone off to fight somewhere, and she hoped that he was safe if that was the case.

She considered asking someone, but then they would suspect something. Thalia would know for sure, he father would probably guess. She couldn't ask Agathe because Annabeth was trying to convince the maid that she wasn't in love. Annabeth really wanted to know where Perseus was, but she couldn't ask anyone without alerting them to something. She was stuck.

But before she could think anymore on the subject, she was interrupted.

"Agathe said I would find you here."

Annabeth turned her head and saw her father walking towards her.

"Hello, Father," she said.

Frederick sat down next to his daughter and turned his body so that he could face her.

"I see why you come out here so often," he said with a smile. "It really is beautiful."

"It is, isn't it?" she said. "It reminds me of home."

Frederick sighed. "Darling, I know you miss home-"

"Of course I do!" Annabeth cried out in frustration. "I didn't even want to come here."

"I know, but I couldn't leave you alone," her father explained patiently.

"But why did we all move here? Why doesn't Thalia just stay here by herself?" Annabeth demanded.

"Your sister is a strong woman, but she cares for her family too much to live far away from them."

Annabeth sighed. "I know."

"If it had been possible I would have stayed home with you," Frederick said. "This isn't easy for any of us."

"I've been selfish," Annabeth admitted. As much as she hated to say it, she knew that it was true. She had only thought of how difficult the move had been for her, and didn't even consider her family. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," Frederick told his daughter sincerely. "And don't you ever forget that I love you."

"To the moon and back," Annabeth said, finishing the line that her father had been telling her since she could remember.

"And you will always be my favourite," her father said with a smile.

Annabeth laughed.

"I love you too, Father."

After sitting in a comfortable silence for a while, Frederick broke it.

"There wouldn't be another reason why you're back in the garden at the same time you were last night and why you were here this morning too?" he asked with a sly smile.

"No," said Annabeth. "What other reason would there be?"

Annabeth tried her best to stay composed so that her father would guess, but her heart was beating so fast she was sure that he had heard it.

"Well, I was curious after I heard one of the maids saying that Agathe mentioned seeing you here with a soldier last night."

_Oh, gods! _Annabeth thought. _What if this has made him decide to marry me off?_

"That might have been me…" she said softly. "You're not going to marry me off are you?"

"No," her father replied. "Well I plan not to, but the king might decide for me."

Annabeth's shoulders slumped. She had hoped that her father would promise to let her choose a husband for herself. Even though her father said that he didn't want to arrange a marriage for her, there was still the chance that the king would make that decision himself. Annabeth just hoped that it would never come to that…

**A.N.: **_I'm really sorry that it took so long to update! I had such a hectic week and I tried to type up as much as possible in the evenings but I still didn't have it up when I wanted it. _

_I will probably update on Sunday or sometime early next week, depending on how much homework I get done this weekend. _

_Thank you for reading (:_


	5. Chapter 5

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 5

**A.N.: **_I'm sorry this took longer to update than I said it would, but I had some writer's block for this chapter. Also, I dropped my phone on my laptop keyboard, which somehow restarted the computer and lost everything that I typed up today. I was so annoyed! _

_The reason behind Annabeth's dream in the last chapter was really just to illustrate her fears of being forced to marry someone she didn't know and what could happen to her. Don't worry though, nothing will happen with Luke! _

**Disclaimer: **_I remembered this time! I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I will own my book (once I've written it and its been published [hopefully]), but that's all._

XXXX

Perseus blocked the attack made on him by his opponent. The blonde attacker could see that his commander was not completely focused, and swung his sword in a wide arch before it met Perseus' with a loud _clang! _

The stunned commander took a step back as he blocked the attack before he made to stab his opponent. His lack of focus caused him to misjudge the distance between himself and the other man, and Perseus fell forwards onto his face. When he rolled over, the blonde stood with his sword at the commander's throat. Both were breathing heavily.

The blonde removed his sword and reached out to help his commander to his feet. Perseus gratefully took the other man's hand and pulled himself up.

The two men stood facing each other, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath after an intense training session. The blonde picked up his commander's sword and handed it back to him.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry, Jason," apologised Perseus. "I just can't concentrate properly today."

Jason, the blonde, was Perseus' cousin, friend and second in command.

He nodded. "So what is it that's interfering with your focus, Perce?"

The commander sighed. The truth was that Annabeth had been on his mind since he had met her two nights ago. He hadn't seen her since because he had been training the new recruits. It was a tiring job and Perseus would much rather have spent the time with the blonde haired beauty. But he couldn't tell Jason that, even if they were cousins.

"I'm just stressing about the new recruits being ready," he lied.

Jason saw right through the lie, he knew his cousin better than that. It was obvious that Perseus wasn't telling the truth. But then what was on his mind?

"If you say so," he eventually replied.

Perseus was sure that Jason didn't believe him, but there was still no chance of him admitting that there was a woman on his mind. He knew that no matter how much he may think about her, there was probably a very slim chance that they could ever be more than just good friends.

Annabeth's sister was arranged to marry the prince. That would make Annabeth related to royalty by marriage. Her father or the king would then choose a rich husband for her, and Perseus would be left with a broken heart. As strange as it seemed, even to him, he loved Annabeth, and after only one meeting. There was just something about her that drew him in and made him let down his guard. Around her he didn't need to be the tough commander who was always collected, he could relax.

He was hoping that he would see her again soon.

XXXX

That night Perseus sneaked out of his quarters that he shared with Jason to go to the garden where he had met Annabeth. He just hoped that she would be there, sitting under the Cyprus tree on the bench waiting for him.

Perseus walked quickly and quietly through the palace hallways, reciting to himself the directions to take. Even though he had made the journey from his residence to the garden countless times, Perseus knew that his mind would wonder to Annabeth, and he would get lost if he didn't remind himself of the route he had to take.

When he reached the garden he carefully made his way to where he hoped Annabeth would be. His breath caught when her saw her silhouette in the moonlight. He knew that it was her by her hair, golden in the moonlight.

Perseus sneaked up behind the young woman and wrapped his arms around her waist. This shocked Annabeth, and she only just managed to stifle a scream. When she saw that it was only the commander she relaxed into his arms and smiled at him over her shoulder. He smiled back, his green eyes twinkling.

Perseus unwillingly let go and sat down next to Annabeth.

"I didn't see you last night," she said. "I wondered if you had maybe been sent to fight somewhere."

Perseus shook his head. "I'm sorry, I was busy training the beginners yesterday."

Annabeth was relieved to hear that he hadn't been fighting, and she mentally scolded herself for worrying about him as if he were someone she loved.

_Remember what Agathe told you, _said a small voice in the back of her mind. _You more than likely do love him but you just won't admit it. You're too stubborn. _

Aloud she said, "Well at least you're here tonight."

He smiled. "I missed you last night," he admitted with a slight blush.

"I missed you as well," Annabeth admitted, also blushing. She was surprised at how this man had made her speak her feelings, without thinking them over before she spilled them. It was unusual for her to be so open about her emotions, especially to someone she barely knew.

But Perseus had become used to sharing how he felt being around his friends and fellow soldiers all the time. They didn't hide much from each other, and mostly said whatever was on their minds. The only pieces of information that the commander hadn't shared were about Annabeth. The reason? He hadn't wanted to appear as a romantic in front of his friends. But Perseus knew that one day Jason and the others would find out about Annabeth.

"I haven't stopped thinking about you," he said. It was on impulse, and he felt stupid and embarrassed after revealing to Annabeth that had been constantly on his mind.

He blushed and looked down, not meeting her gaze and not realising that she too was blushing and looking down.

"Really?" she asked quietly. "You thought about me?"

Perseus managed to gather enough courage to reply.

"Of course," he said. "You kept running through my mind. You're too beautiful to forget."

Annabeth shook her head and chuckled. "Don't tell me what isn't true."

"I'm telling the complete truth," he answered.

Annabeth really wanted to believe him, but she also didn't want to. When he spoke like that it was difficult to remind herself that she wasn't in love with him. But at the same time she wanted to admit that she was wrong, that she was in love with the commander.

But Annabeth had too much pride to admit that she had been wrong to her maid, no matter how much she appreciated having Agathe to talk too.

They sat in silence for a while, and Annabeth spoke before she was sure of what she was saying.

"I came here to look for you last night." She resisted the urge to clamp her hand over her mouth.

Perseus chuckled. "Really?"

Annabeth nodded, her face pink.

"I almost left my room to come find you, but it was past midnight," he replied.

Annabeth smiled, and once again she spoke before she could stop herself.

"I kept thinking about you too."

This time though, she didn't blush, and Perseus just smiled at her.

Soon they found that their faces were mere inches apart. Annabeth's eyes fluttered to the commander's lips and then back up to his gorgeous eyes. But before anything could happen, Annabeth pulled away. She saw a momentary flicker of hurt and rejection in those beautiful eyes before Perseus managed to hide it.

"I'm sorry," she said ashamed.

"It's alright," replied Perseus. "I shouldn't be so forward."

"I don't mind," Annabeth heard herself reply. What was it about this man that made her speak her feelings so easily?

"Then can I kiss you?" he asked.

"Can shows capability, may asks a question," Annabeth said with a shy smile.

"Then may I kiss you, Annabeth?"

Instead of replying, Annabeth began to lean forward, as did Perseus. When their lips were inches away again, Annabeth whispered, "Yes."

The commander almost shivered when he felt her warm breath make contact with his lips. He leaned in, closing the small amount of space between the two of them and lightly pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was gentle, innocent and beautiful, but it ended too soon. Perseus pulled back and looked into Annabeth's eyes.

"Do you have a nickname?" Annabeth asked. "'Perseus' seems too formal."

"My close friends call me 'Perce' and sometimes 'Percy'," he replied. "Would you prefer one of those to my full name?"

Annabeth chuckled softly and nodded her head in affirmation.

"I think it would be a little less serious," she said.

Percy smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. Their lips met, this time in a more passionate kiss. Annabeth threaded her fingers into Percy's hair while he rested his hands on her waist. Percy trailed one hand up Annabeth's side to cup her cheek in his hand.

They were lost in their own little world; everything outside of their personal bubble was invisible, and they didn't realise that someone else had entered the garden until they were rudely interrupted.

"Annabeth, what in the gods names are you doing?" Thalia shouted.

The couple sprang away from each other and jumped to their feet.

"Thalia!" Annabeth exclaimed angrily. "What are you doing here?"

Thalia stood with her mouth open, staring at her sister and the man she didn't know. The wheels in her head were turning quickly, trying to fit together the pieces of the puzzle.

"I could ask you the same thing," she snapped.

"Well its none of your business!" Annabeth yelled.

"You're my sister! Of course its my business!"

Percy spoke up for the first time.

"I should probably go," he said quietly to Annabeth.

"When will I see you again?" she asked in a whisper.

"Soon," said Percy. "I promise."

Then he turned to leave the garden, leaving Annabeth and Thalia alone.

Thalia looked at her younger sister and shook her head.

"I can't believe you," she said.

Her words confused Annabeth. Why did Thalia have a problem with her being in love? Then Annabeth realised that she had admitted to herself that she did love Percy.

Without saying a word, Annabeth turned and walked out of the garden, Thalia trailing after her, shouting the whole time and so loudly that Annabeth worried that she would wake the whole palace.

XXXX

"What were you doing with a soldier?" Leila yelled. "Of all the men to be involved with! Why not a nobleman? Or someone with money?"

"Because I don't want a rich nobleman who doesn't care for me!" Annabeth yelled back.

"Your sister will be the queen soon, and you dare put her to shame by getting involved with a common soldier?"

Annabeth sighed, rolled her eyes and didn't reply to her stepmother.

"Don't you dare disrespect me!" Leila shouted.

"You're not even my real mother!" Annabeth yelled as loudly as she could.

Leila was left speechless and Frederick instead spoke up.

"Stop it!" he said firmly. He turned to Thalia. "You had no right to barge in on Annabeth and then tell your mother about it."

"But Father-"

"No!" Frederick interrupted her. "It is not your concern what Annabeth does or who she sees." Then he turned to his wife. "Perseus is a commander, not a common soldier. I've heard good things about him from the general and Agathe, so if Annabeth wants to see him she has my full permission to do so!"

Annabeth smiled at her father, thankful that he was supporting her.

"But he isn't important or rich!" Leila argued. "Annabeth cannot be involved with him! She may not see him again!"

"I give Annabeth full permission to see Perseus whenever she wishes," Frederick told his wife with a stony glare.

"But, Father, he is five years older!" Thalia interjected. "Surely that is too old?"

"I agree!" stated Leila. "Much too old for Annabeth!"

Annabeth stood silently while her stepmother and stepsister spoke about her as if she wasn't there. She was beginning to grow used to it, but she didn't like it any more than the first time it had happened.

"But the king would arrange for me to marry a man twice my age and that would be fine?" she shouted. "That wouldn't be a problem as long as he is important and rich! Well, I don't care about status! I care about Percy, and he cares about me!"

Leila looked ready to explode.

"I don't care if you love him, you will not see him again!"

_She's avoiding question, _Annabeth realised. _She knows that she wouldn't object to me being forced to marry someone double my age._

Out loud she said, "You and Thalia are just jealous that Father would let me marry someone who I love!"

Then Annabeth turned and fled from her parent's room. She was furious with Leila and Thalia. She knew that they were jealous, but she didn't want jealousy to ruin the relationships that she had with them.

Annabeth hurried down the hallways and back to her room. Luckily she now remembered the way from her room to the dining hall and from there to the garden and back to her room. She still was not comfortable in the palace, but she had grown more used to life there.

Agathe was waiting in her room, ready to help Annabeth prepare for bed. When Annabeth entered the room, the maid immediately noticed how upset she looked.

"What happened?" she asked, the concern in her voice evident to Annabeth.

Annabeth sighed before answering.

"Thalia and Leila are jealous and angry because Father approves of Percy."

"You call him by his nick name?" asked the maid with a smile. "I knew that you would fall for him!'

Despite herself, Annabeth chuckled.

"I suppose you were right," she admitted. "I do love him."

Agathe barely managed to stop herself from jumping for joy. She knew that Annabeth would fall in love with the handsome commander as soon as she saw the two of them together that first night.

"Well do you think your father will let you marry him?" she asked excitedly.

Annabeth blushed and said, "I hope so."

"That's wonderful!" cried Agathe. "I'm so pleased for you, dear."

"I just hope that the king doesn't decide on a husband for me first," replied Annabeth.

XXXX

**A.N.: **_Again, I'm sorry for updating later than I said that I would. But I promise that I will try my best to update on Monday or Tuesday. Thank you for reading (:_

_And yes, I did steal the "May I kiss you?" line from the movie **Because I Said So, **but so what? It fit perfectly! (: _


	6. Chapter 6

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 6

**A.N.: **_I finally got The Mark of Athena! It arrived in the post on Tuesday with Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian, so I'm struggling to concentrate on anything other than reading. A bad thing because final exams start next week… but anyway, when I went to the bookshop on Wednesday, they finally had Mark of Athena in stock! _

_And I'm sorry that I didn't update when I said that I would (again…), but I was reading and again a little stuck on this story. _

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own any rights to Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus._

XXXX

"It's a woman, isn't it?"

Percy froze in his tracks. The voice was Jason's. He hesitantly turned to face his cousin and sighed. Percy had known that he wouldn't be able to convince Jason that there was nothing going on for long.

"Yes," he replied. No use hiding the truth, Jason would only have kept guessing until he found out. "It is."

Jason sat up in bed and lit the lamp on his side table. Even though it wasn't full, the moon was still bright as it shone through the window. Despite the brightness of the moon, it still wasn't enough to light up the room.

Percy sat down on his own bed and faced Jason. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jason spoke.

"Am I right in guessing that you're not going to say anything unless I ask you about her?"

"Correct," replied Percy with his cocky grin that Jason had gotten used to over the years.

"So what's her name?" he asked.

Percy hesitated before answering. "Annabeth," he finally said.

"Her sister, Thalia, is marrying the prince, isn't she?" Jason asked.

Percy nodded in affirmation. "An arranged marriage."

Jason wrinkled his nose. He was against arranged marriages since he was almost forced into one himself. Fortunately his bride-to-be's father decided that Jason, being a soldier, was too much of a danger to his daughter. Jason hadn't minded that at all, because he already loved someone else who he then married.

"And what about Annabeth?" he asked his commander and cousin. "Is she being forced into a marriage?"

Percy sighed. "No, but the king might decide for her father."

"That's unfortunate."

"I know."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Jason, once again, was the one to break it.

"Have you kissed her?"

The commander only nodded his head in reply. It upset him to imagine Annabeth, woman he had fallen in love with in such a short time, being married off to someone she didn't know or love, and he no longer felt like talking. The pain that he felt in his chest at this thought only confirmed what he already knew. He did love her, as strange as it was after only knowing her for a few days.

"Well, how long have you known her?" Jason asked, curiosity apparent in his tone.

"A few days," Percy answered truthfully.

"And you've kissed her? And you can't stop thinking about her?"

The son of Poseidon nodded.

Jason let out a low whistle. "I never thought that I would see my cousin and commander, tough as nails Perseus _lovesick!_"

Percy chuckled and leaned forward to shove Jason's shoulder.

"Be quiet or I'll have you decommissioned!" Percy joked.

Jason laughed as he flopped onto his back.

Percy was just about to blow out the lamp when Jason asked him another question.

"Do you plan on marrying her?"

Percy paused in his movement and looked at his cousin. "What?"

"You heard me," Jason replied; too busy examining a crack on the wall to look at Percy.

After thinking carefully about how to answer the question Percy said, "What if I am?"

"Perce," Jason said matter-of-factly. "Her sister is marrying the prince. Do you really think that the king and queen won't mind Annabeth marrying a commander in the army? I mean, think about it."

Percy knew that his cousin had a point and he knew that the royals wouldn't let Annabeth get away with marrying just anyone without a fight.

"I know," he replied after a moment's silence. "But I have to try and convince them that, despite the fact that I'm not rich or 'important', I will be the right person for her."

XXXX

"New gods!" thundered the prince. "When I am king, we will worship new gods. What have the Olympians ever done for us? When have the godly parents of demigods ever made sure that their offspring were safe?"

As soon as Annabeth received a message summoning her to the throne room to hear the prince make an announcement, she knew that whatever was being planned would not be good. As usual, her instincts were right. But then anything involving Luke wasn't good in her books.

The only people present were Annabeth, Frederick, Leila, Thalia, the king and queen and the royal advisors and priests. Luke had been adamant that no maids or any other servants be permitted entrance into the throne room while he was speaking,

"Most people don't know that my real father is Hermes," Luke continued. "When my mother and the king were set to be married, she was already pregnant. But my father, the king, loved her anyway and still married her. He raised me like his own son."

"Is that true?" Annabeth whispered to Thalia who was seated next to her.

Thalia nodded in confirmation. "He told me all this the first time I met him. He said we should be completely honest with each other to get anywhere."

"What does he mean by 'anywhere'?" Annabeth asked curiously.

Thalia just shrugged to show that she didn't know either.

Luke was still in the middle of making his speech.

"Hermes has never once spoken to me or even sent me any messages or signs. He doesn't care, and I'll bet that if you ask any other half-blood they will tell you the same thing!"

Annabeth felt like jumping up and objecting. Her mother had spoken to her once, on her eighth birthday. That was the first and only time, but Athena had sent her signs and gifts and had definitely not ignored or abandoned her.

"What's he planning?" Frederick muttered beside Annabeth.

"I don't know," she replied. "But I don't like it…"

Luke continued with his propaganda speech.

"We will replace the Olympians with new gods, who won't ignore their demigod children. Their king will be Jupiter, and their queen, Juno."

"They aren't even Greek names!" Annabeth exclaimed quietly to Thalia.

"That's because he wants to create a new empire," Thalia whispered back.

Annabeth was shocked. The future king wanted to create a completely new empire and tear down what they believed in. He wanted to abandon the Olympians and worship new gods. What kind of a leader did something like that?

When they were finally allowed to leave the throne room, Annabeth was fuming, and not only of the prince's idea but because Thalia was backing him up.

"What kind of wife would I be if I didn't support my husband?" she argued.

"You would be an independent woman who could think for herself!" cried Annabeth. "And you aren't even married to him yet!"

Thalia huffed and walked away, leaving Annabeth standing alone in the hallway. Annabeth groaned, turned and walked down the hallway, in the opposite direction to her sister.

Annabeth decided that she would explore an area of the palace that she hadn't seen yet, and she soon found herself at the army's training ground.

It was a large open area with stables for horses and buildings where weapons and armour were stored. To one side there was a roofless fighting arena fenced off by a high brick wall. The entrance was closed by a heavy wooden door, which to Annabeth's surprise, opened quite easily.

Inside seats ringed the arena, each row higher up than the previous. In the middle, the ground was covered with sand. Annabeth had seen pictures in books of similar structures, but she had never before been in one before. What surprised her most were the two men fighting in the centre. After all, she had expected to find it empty.

The first man she easily recognised to be Percy. The second was a blonde man, slightly taller than the commander with a more angular face. He was handsome, Annabeth decided, but not as handsome as Perseus.

They sparred for a while, blocking each other's attacks and thrusting their swords at the other's chest. They were so engrossed that neither noticed the woman standing in front of the door.

After a while, Percy looked up and noticed her for the first time. Annabeth smiled timidly at him. He smiled back brightly right before his blonde opponent disarmed him.

"Losing your touch, Perce?" the blonde teased.

Percy laughed good-naturedly, retrieved his sword and made his way over to Annabeth.

"Enjoy the show?" he asked cockily.

Annabeth smiled. "It would have been a better show if you had won," she pointed out.

Percy grimaced. "Minor setback," he said. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I was wondering aimlessly around the palace when I found the training grounds," she explained.

Percy nodded in understanding. He was happy to see her, despite the fact that he had just lost to Jason again, and he was eager to show her around the training grounds.

"Would you like a tour?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Annabeth answered.

Percy held out his arm for her to take, and Annabeth looped her arm through his. They were just about to leave when the blonde man stopped them.

"Aren't you going to introduce me, cousin?" he asked.

"Annabeth, this is Jason, my cousin," Percy said, gesturing to the blonde.

"So _this _is Annabeth," said Jason. "I'm afraid you've been distracting the commander from his training." He grinned at the blush that crept up both Percy and Annabeth's faces.

"I'll see you later," Percy told him before leading Annabeth away.

"I can see why you haven't been focusing!" Jason called after them.

Percy sighed and turned to Annabeth once they were out of the arena. She was thinking about Luke's ideas and unknowingly a frown had made its way onto her face.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Not really," Annabeth replied. "But it's a long story. Do you have a while?"

"Sure," Percy said. "Let's go sit in the shade and you can tell me what's bothering you."

XXXX

**A.N.: **_I could have continued, but then it would have taken longer to update. It is exam time now, so I will be studying but I will try to update ads often as I can. So don't worry! There will be at least one update a week. _

_Again, I'm sorry for the late update. _


	7. Chapter 7

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 7

**A.N.:**_ I'm so sorry that I took so long to update! ): I had ten exams to write and study for, a class farewell that lasted a whole day, extra dance rehearsals for the church Christmas concert and then the concert itself. I have literally had no time to write! And every time I tried I went completely blank. _

_But next week (when I'm at my dad) I will be babysitting in the evenings and he will be at work during the days, so I will hopefully have more time to write! Fingers crossed! _

_And like I said before, the names of the gods Luke is 'creating' are going to have the Roman gods' names._

_I haven't written the wedding ceremony out in detail, but I have explained the part I mentioned at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!_

**Disclaimer: **_I'm finally getting the hang of remembering these! I don't own Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. And I am not getting paid to write. Well, not yet. _

XXXX

"So what's been eating at you?" Percy asked as he sat down next to Annabeth under a cypress tree.

"I don't think I'm supposed to be talking about it," Annabeth admitted. "But I feel like I can trust you."

Percy nodded. He felt an unfamiliar warm feeling inside when she said that she felt he could be trusted. "Of course you can," he promised. "With anything."

Annabeth sighed. "Well, the short version is that the prince believes that the Olympians have abandoned us. And when he takes the throne he wants everyone to worship new gods, ones that's he's 'created'," she explained.

The commander sat in silence, just staring at her.

"That's… that can't happen!" he finally managed to get out. "If we turn to other gods, the Olympians will destroy us!"

"I know," Annabeth replied. "I'm scared of what will happen."

Percy reached out his arms and pulled Annabeth closer. He held her tightly against his chest while she buried her face in his neck. His strong, warm arms comforted her, and she knew that she would always be safe with him.

Annabeth was used to always being strong. She usually tried to hide her emotions because she worried that people would think even less of her if she acted weak. But with Percy, she didn't care. She still wanted to be strong in his eyes but she knew that if she went to him for comfort he wouldn't think any less of her.

"Maybe we can convince him otherwise?" Percy said, sounding uncertain of his own idea.

"He's much too stubborn to even listen to us."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Annabeth pulled out of Percy's grasp.

"My mother has never ignored me. She sends me signs and I know that she watches over me," Annabeth admitted. "Does your father?"

Percy nodded. "He's visited me once, and sent me dreams."

Annabeth wondered if Athena had ever sent her a dream, but as far as she could remember that had never happened. Besides, if her goddess mother had sent her a dream message, Annabeth was sure that she would be able to tell the difference between it and a normal dream.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, enjoying the peaceful afternoon and pondering about what Annabeth had said concerning Luke and his 'new gods'. They were interrupted when Jason came running over to them.

"Perce, the general wants some help training the new recruits," he said, gasping for breath.

Perseus turned to look at Annabeth.

"I have to go, but I'll see you again soon," he promised.

"It's alright," Annabeth replied. "I should probably be getting back anyway."

Percy stood and helped her up, then kissed her lightly on the cheek before grinning his playful grin and running off after his cousin.

That grin caused a swarm of butterflies to flutter around in Annabeth's stomach. She smiled and lifted her right hand to touch the place on her cheek that Percy had kissed, the feeling of his warm lips lingering on her skin.

XXXX

Annabeth hadn't realised how late it was when she left the training grounds. After taking a few wrong turns on the way back to her room, she realised that she would be late for dinner once again. When she arrived in her room, Agathe quickly helped to tidy up Annabeth's appearance, told her to hurry and shooed her out the door.

Annabeth ran through the hallways of the palace, gasping for breath. She rounded the last corner, and flew through the door into the dining hall. Her hair had come undone out of its braid and sweat beaded her forehead. She blushed as all eyes turned to her.

"I apologise for my lateness," she said, addressing the king, who only frowned and nodded his head.

Annabeth scanned the table for an empty seat, and saw that the only one was between Thalia and her father. Annabeth was really not in the mood to be stuck next to her sister in sight of their last two conversations ending in shouting and Annabeth storming off, but she didn't have a choice this time. She sighed and made her way towards the setting. She sat down and made a point of looking everywhere except at her stepsister. She caught her father's eye and she returned his kind smile.

"If you've been with that _Perseus_ again, you are going to be in so much trouble," Thalia whispered to Annabeth once she had taken her seat.

"Maybe you've forgotten," she hissed, "that Father gave me his permission to see Percy whenever I want to."

Thalia just rolled her eyes and turned back to her fiancé.

"I think two days from now," said the queen. "What do you think, Thalia?"

Thalia's face flushed red.

"I apologise Your Majesty, but I was reprimanding my sister and I missed what you said."

The queen raised an eyebrow and repeated herself.

"I was saying that having the wedding two days from now would be a good idea and I asked your opinion. Good weather has been predicted."

Thalia swallowed and said, "Yes, I think that would be perfect."

The queen smiled and went beck to her dinner.

Only Annabeth seemed to notice that Thalia paled slightly and barely touched her food for the rest of the meal.

XXXX

The next day was chaos. Servants ran around decorating and preparing food. Thalia and Luke had their wedding outfits fitted and sewn. Annabeth also had a new chiton made especially for the occasion, though she found it very uncomfortable.

Annabeth very much wanted to sneak off and find Percy again, but Thalia always seemed to need her help or opinion. First it was choosing accessories and decorations and then sitting in on Thalia getting her wedding dress fitted.

Thalia did her best to hide her emotions. She didn't want anyone to know how nervous she really was. Of course Annabeth saw right through her, but didn't let her sister know that. In sight of their recent disagreements Annabeth had decided to pay as little attention to Thalia as possible. That was, of course, difficult because Thalia wouldn't let the younger woman out of her sight.

Finally Annabeth managed to escape her stepsister. Unfortunately, by then it was much too late to go and look for Percy. Annabeth was bitterly disappointed that she hadn't been able to see him because of how selfish Thalia was. _I'll see him tomorrow, _she decided. _Thalia can't keep an eye on me the whole night tomorrow._

XXXX

The next day was even more chaotic then the previous. By the time everything was ready, most of the servants were exhausted, and they were still required to serve the wedding guests.

After assisting Annabeth with dressing, all Agathe had to do for the rest of the night was follow the girl around, like a lady in waiting, which was easy enough because Annabeth hardly asked for assistance unless she really needed it. At first, Annabeth had insisted that she didn't need Agathe to keep her company all night and said that the maid could take the night off, but Agathe and Frederick insisted that the maid be with her at all times.

The ceremony was beautiful. All the guests had made a point in telling the queen so. But Annabeth could see through it all. She could see that there was no love between the couple. Thalia was only doing what was expected of her, and Luke as well, but Annabeth could see that he was attracted to Thalia.

After her hair had been cut, Thalia looked completely different. Instead of the long black locks she had had before, her hair was short and almost spiky. It suited her, but her long hair had looked better. Luckily it would grow back.

Because the wedding was at the palace, the feast was there instead of at the bride's house. Annabeth's stomach growled while she waited for the men to finish their meal. After waiting for what felt like hours to Annabeth, the women were allowed to eat.

When Annabeth left the table she made a point of avoiding all the wedding guests, especially the men. Most of them were older than her, and any one of them could be a man the king planned for her to marry. One man, fat and balding, crept up behind her when she was talking to another young woman while Agathe went to find Frederick. He wrapped one arm around her waist, the other hand resting on her shoulder and placed a sloppy open-mouthed kiss on her cheek.

Annabeth struggled to release herself from his grip.

"Would you let go of me please?" she asked as politely as she possibly could.

"Why would I want to do that, darling?" the man slurred, obviously drunk. "Such a nice face," he murmured. "Beautiful body, too…"

By this time the other woman had been asked to dance and had left with a handsome young man, leaving Annabeth all on her own with the older man. After struggling a while longer, Annabeth had had enough, and decided that she didn't care about etiquette anymore, and elbowed the man in his stomach. He keeled over, grasping his mid section. He called her a derogatory name before two guards rushed over and removed him. Most of the guests had paused their conversations to see what had happened.

Annabeth took a deep breath and leaned against the wall to stop herself from collapsing on her shaking legs. Frederick and Agathe hurried over to Annabeth through the crowd of people.

"Annabeth, are you all right, dear?" her father questioned.

She nodded her head signalling that she was fine.

"You should sit down somewhere," said Agathe. "You've had a shock."

"I'm fine," Annabeth insisted. "But I'm tired of being around all these strangers. Can I go find Percy?"

Frederick, being unable to refuse Annabeth anything when she looked at him with her beautiful eyes opened wide, looked over his shoulder to see if his wife was near by to object.

"I don't see why not," he decided. Annabeth smiled happily.

"Thank you, Father," she said, putting her hands on his shoulders and standing on her toes to kiss his cheek before turning and leaving the room.

Frederick shook his head and looked at Agathe.

"She will be fine, won't she, Agathe?" he asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

"She will be, sir," replied the maid, smiling at the father's distress over his daughter. "Perseus will make sure of that."

XXXX

The first place Annabeth decided to look for the commander was in their garden. It wasn't really _their_ garden, but Annabeth had begun to call it that because it was where they had met. Unfortunately, just as she was leaving the wedding celebrations Thalia grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving.

"Let go, Thalia." Annabeth gently tugged her wrist out of her stepsister's grasp.

"No!" said Thalia as she wrapped her fingers around Annabeth's elbow. "You're going to see _that soldier _again, aren't you?"

"Why does that concern you?" Annabeth shot back.

"Because I'm doing my very best to be accepted as the future queen and you're making it increasingly difficult."

"I don't care, I'm going," Annabeth said before tugging her arm from Thalia's grip and walking away.

Annabeth fumed the whole way to the garden, annoyed at Thalia for being so controlling and shaken after that man had gotten much too close for comfort. She became even angrier when she saw that Percy wasn't there.

The next place Annabeth looked was the training grounds. Once again, Percy was nowhere to be seen. Annabeth hadn't expected him to be training this late at night, but she wanted to make sure that she didn't miss him.

After walking aimlessly through the hallways and then the palace grounds, Annabeth came across the army's sleeping quarters. She wandered through the walkways between the small houses reserved for the senior officers until she found one with Commander written above the door.

She knocked timidly and waited for the door to open. There were some rustling sounds before the door opened to reveal Commander Perseus standing in the doorway in his sleeping clothes. His tired eyes immediately opened wider and sparkled when he saw Annabeth. Percy quickly took Annabeth's hand and pulled her inside

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a hushed tone, his beautiful smile in place. Annabeth couldn't help but smile back.

"I was tired of being at the wedding celebrations with no one to talk to," she admitted. "I decided that I would rather find you."

Percy walked over to his bed, sat down and patted the space beside him. Annabeth walked over to him and sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a moment before Percy began a conversation.

"I can see that something is bothering you. What is it?" he asked.

Annabeth sighed. She wasn't sure how Percy would react, but she knew that he would be able to see through any lies she told.

"There was an older man at the wedding," she began. "He was going to try something, I'm sure, but the guards took him away."

"Nothing happened?" Percy pressed, his usually calm eyes stormy and distressed like the sea in the wind.

"Nothing."

The silence returned, but not for long. Very uncharacteristically Annabeth began to cry. She realised that the man had disturbed her more than she had admitted, and her emotions refused to stay in any longer. Percy turned to sit facing her and pulled her into his lap. Annabeth cried into his shirt while he rubbed her back to soothe her.

"It's alright," he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"Do you promise?" Annabeth asked through her tears.

"I promise that as long as I am alive I won't let another man lay a hand on you unless you are completely comfortable with it."

Annabeth smiled through her tears and leaned up to kiss the commander on the cheek.

"Thank you."

After hours of talking, the couple fell asleep in each other's arms. They only realised their mistake when the door flew open the next morning. The sunlight streaming into the room silhouetted the figure standing in the door.

"What's going on in here?"

XXXX

**A.N.: **_OK, so in a Greek wedding the bride cuts her hair to symbolise that she will lose her virginity. And usually the wedding feast is at the bride's house. If there is anything else about the wedding that I didn't explain, tell me in a review of a PM and I will add it in here and in the next chapter's A.N. I got the info from Wikipedia if you're interested. _

_I know this was a minor cliffhanger, but don't worry the next update will be soon (I hope)!_

_Thanks for reading despite the late update and review maybe? _

_Until next time (:_


	8. Chapter 8

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 8

**A.N.: **_Pray for those poor innocent children in Connecticut. The ones who were lost and the survivors. Pray the survivors will be able to heal after the traumatic experience they got through. Pray that the children murdered will be in a better place and pray that their families will be able to cope with the tragic loss. These children had their whole lives ahead of them, and one evil-minded person took all that away from them and their families._

_Full author's note at the bottom._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any of the characters._

XXXX

Percy held tightly to Annabeth, who had pulled the sheets over her head so as not to be seen. She was shaking slightly in Percy's arms, while he tried his best to keep his breathing and his heartbeat steady.

"What is going on here?" the figure in the doorway asked again. "I know you're under the sheets, Annabeth. I can see you and I won't tell anyone."

"Jason," Percy said with a sigh as he slightly released his hold on Annabeth. "You really startled us for a minute there."

"Sorry." Jason walked into the room and sat down on his bed as Annabeth sat up. Percy still had his arms around her waist, and he pulled her back down when she attempted to get off the bed.

"Stay," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her ear. "Please."

Instead of replying verbally, Annabeth simply leaned back into Percy's chest.

Jason, who had been watching from his bunk, stood up to leave.

"I suppose I'll leave you two alone now," he said. He winked at his cousin as he made his way back to the door. "Oh, and Annabeth, you should know that your sister is going crazy. Agathe is trying to stall but I don't think it will be long before she comes looking for you."

"For the love of Zeus!"she groaned as she pulled herself out of Percy's embrace. "She's going to kill me! And Leila will help!"

"Calm down." Percy got up off the bed and stretched. "If you leave now and hurry then you can get back soon and convince Thalia and Leila that you fell asleep in the garden last night."

"You're a genius," Annabeth said, grinning over her shoulder as she tied her sandals.

"Well, I do my best," he replied cockily. "But you'd better hurry, I don't really want Thalia to kill me."

Annabeth straightened up and walked closer to Percy until she was standing directly in front of him, looking up at his handsome face. She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you," she said.

Percy's brow creased as he frowned in confusion. "For what?"

"Letting me stay last night," Annabeth mumbled as her face began to colour.

"It was my pleasure," Percy replied, also turning slightly pink.

And then he leaned down to capture her lips in a soft and loving kiss. Annabeth couldn't help but think that their lips fit together perfectly, and she began to wish that she didn't have to leave Percy even for a second. She didn't care what her stepsister said; she wanted to be with the commander, even if he was a few years older, because to her it didn't even matter.

Jason averted his gaze, because he knew that he would begin to blush if he didn't. But no matter where he looked, he would have something to tease his cousin about for a long time, as it wasn't likely that he would forget this moment soon.

He waited for a while, but soon realised that Annabeth wouldn't willingly leave Percy unless she was dragged away or threatened. As much as Jason didn't want to see his cousin kissing a woman, he knew that if he didn't get Annabeth to leave then she would be in trouble which would in turn upset Percy.

So he turned to face them and cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. Annabeth carefully pulled away from Percy and turned to look at Jason.

"You should probably leave now, Annabeth," he said

She nodded. "Will you show me the way back? I'm not sure if I can remember it," she asked. "You can say that you found me sleeping in the garden."

Jason was just about to answer and say that Annabeth's idea was a good one, when the door opened unexpectedly for the second time that morning. A flushed and panting Agathe almost fell through the door. Jason caught her by the arm to stop her from losing her balance and falling face first on the floor.

"What's happened?" he asked the maid.

"Thalia is looking for Miss Annabeth now," Agathe answered between gasps for breath. "She knows Annabeth didn't fall asleep in the garden, she already had someone look there."

Percy took a step closer to Annabeth so that he was standing directly behind her. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and she leaned into his embrace, grateful for the comfort he offered.

"She knows I was here and still am," Annabeth whispered. "She'll be on her way now."

"Don't panic," Percy replied softly. "Just keep calm."

"That's a difficult thing to ask, Perseus," Agathe muttered. "We are like cornered rats, we have nowhere to hide."

Suddenly an idea hit Jason like a bolt of lightning. **(A.N.: **_See what I did there? Ha ha!_**)**

"The stables!" he cried. When he was met only with looks of confusion he elaborated on his idea. "You say that you fell asleep in the stables."

"It's a good idea," Annabeth admitted. "But why would I be in the stables?"

"Say that you got lost in the dark and fell asleep there because you thought it would be the safest place to stay for the night," he explained. "But you have to leave right away. I'll take you back to your room."

"Why shouldn't I be able to take her back?" the commander argued.

"If I take Annabeth back Thalia and Leila are less likely to suspect something," Jason explained.

Percy grudgingly agreed to let Jason escort Annabeth back to her family. Agathe would accompany them while Percy would wait until Jason returned to tell him if his plan had been successful or not.

While Percy waited, he didn't worry about what Thalia could do to hurt him. Instead he worried about Annabeth. Would the plan work? Would Annabeth be kept under house arrest for the rest of her life, married off to some old man who wanted another young wife? The terrible possibilities were endless and unbearable to consider. He wanted Annabeth to marry him, not some old man who would treat her unfairly and even abusively. Percy would love her and keep her safe, no matter what happened. If only Thalia could see that.

XXXX

"Where have you been?" Thalia almost exploded when Annabeth, Jason and Agathe ran through the door.

"I fell asleep in the stables last night," Annabeth replied, her face revealing nothing.

"Why?"

"I got lost in the dark and that seemed the safest place to stay at the time."

"You don't look like you spent a night in the stables."

Agathe and Jason hadn't been expecting Thalia to call Annabeth out on that, but the blonde had thought of everything.

"I cleaned myself up before I returned," she said, lying smoothly to her stepsister's face.

Thalia glared at Annabeth and her two companions for a while before she sighed.

"At least you're safe and you weren't with _that _man."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"What do you have against him?" she asked.

"He isn't good enough for you, that's what I have against him," Thalia replied before turning and walking away with clenched fists. "Luke is waiting for me."

Annabeth was touched that Thalia felt Perseus wasn't good enough for her, but she knew that if anything she wasn't good enough for him. for a moment she almost felt guilty for lying to her stepsister, but then it dawned on her that Thalia had only said that because she didn't really have a reason for not approving, except that she was worried about her image; how Luke, her new in-laws and the people of Greece would see her. Annabeth no longer felt any guilt for lying.

Once Thalia was out of earshot Jason let out a sigh of relief.

"That was close," he whispered.

"I know…" Annabeth replied. "I'm going to have to be more careful in the future."

"You mean you plan on sneaking out to visit Commander Perseus at night again?" Agathe asked, her eyes wide with shock. "I would think that you had learned your lesson!"

Annabeth chuckled. "I learned that I need to be more careful."

"I need to tell my cousin that Thalia believed the story," said Jason. "I'm sure that I will see you again soon, Annabeth. Goodbye, Agathe."

"Thank you for your help, Jason," said Annabeth.

Jason smiled, saluted and left. Annabeth turned to Agathe, closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Agathe opened her arms and Annabeth walked into her motherly embrace.

"I can't hide from Thalia and my stepmother forever," she mumbled. "But I want to be with Percy, and they will never approve."

"Shh, sweet. Everything will turn out for the best."

"I hope so."

XXXX

Later that evening Annabeth went out to the garden to find Percy. He wasn't there when she arrived, so she sat down on the bench and waited. She had been sitting in the moonlight, waiting for a while when a soldier entered the garden.

At first she thought that it was Percy, but she saw that the man was slightly shorter and less muscular. When he got closer she saw that his eyes were hazel, not sea green, and his hair dark brown, not midnight black.

"Miss Annabeth?" he asked.

Annabeth stood to meet the man. "Yes?" she answered.

"I have a message for you from Commander Perseus." He held out a piece of folded parchment to her.

Annabeth thanked the man before opening the parchment to read the message. The soldier stood silently in front of her, waiting until she had read everything written on the thick, yellow paper.

Annabeth scanned the parchment.

_Annabeth,_

_I would have given anything to see you tonight, but Jason said that it might be too risky after this morning. Meet me two days from now after dinner in the garden, under the Cyprus tree. Tell the messenger 'yes' if you will be there and 'no' if you won't. I really hope that you will say yes, I want to see you again soon._

_Perseus_

Annabeth looked up from the scroll.

"Thank you, and tell him 'yes'," she said.

The soldier nodded. "Yes, of course Miss Annabeth." The man hurried out of the garden, leaving Annabeth by herself.

Annabeth sat down on the stone bench again, not feeling like going back inside. The weather was beautiful and warm, the sky full of stars and completely cloudless. The cool breeze was welcome considering the humidity of a Greek summer.

Annabeth found herself thinking about Percy; he had wanted to see her, but his cousin had warned that it might be dangerous considering the fact that they had almost been caught together that morning. _Percy wanted to see me_, she thought. _He still does, he sent a messenger to arrange a time. _She sat alone in the garden, grinning to herself at the thought of the commander.

"I take it you're in a good mood?"

Annabeth looked up to see her father smiling down at her. She nodded her head yes in reply, a grin still gracing her lips.

"May I sit?" Frederick asked.

"Of course, Father."

Frederick sat down next to his daughter and clasped his hands in his lap. He took a deep breath before he began to speak.

"Thalia told Leila and I where you said you were last night. I think we both know that you didn't spend the night in the stables."

Annabeth looked down at her feet and blushed. "Well if I wasn't there, then where was I?" she challenged.

"I think you were with the commander," Frederick replied quietly.

Annabeth sighed. "Alright, I was with Percy." She could lie to Thalia easily, but lying to her father was completely different. She cared about him too much to hide anything from him. For a while it had been just the two of them and the last thing Annabeth wanted to do was jeopardise their relationship.

Frederick groaned and put his head in his hands. "He didn't… take advantage of you, did he?" he asked from between his fingers. "You didn't…?"

"No, Father, of course not! Percy would never do that," Annabeth assured her father. "He would never hurt me or put me at risk."

"Good, that's good."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Frederick spoke again.

"Annabeth, I want you to know that I approve of Perseus even if Thalia and Leila do not. I won't force you to marry someone the king chooses for you. I promise that I will decide. At the moment, I am considering Perseus as a husband for you."

Frederick didn't want his daughter to get married; he didn't want to loose her. She was still young; there was still time, but the king kept hinting that he should find a husband for her soon. And if the king were to choose a husband, Frederick could only shudder while imagining the kind of man he would decide on. Annabeth didn't want to marry, but Frederick knew that she would at least be happy if she were arranged to marry Perseus.

Annabeth grinned up at her father, eyes wide and happy. "Really?" she asked.

"Yes, really," her father replied.

Annabeth was relieved that her father would let her marry Percy, after all, now she wouldn't have to put up with some fat, balding, smelly, drunk. Her only concern was what her stepmother and stepsister would have to say.

"Thank you, Father," she whispered as she flung her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

"I know he will take care of you," Frederick mumbled. "I don't trust the king to find a good man to be your husband."

"Neither do I," Annabeth admitted. "I'm very pleased that you are considering Percy."

Frederic smiled to himself, happy that his daughter was happy. "When are you seeing him again?"

"Two days from now, after dinner in the garden." She smiled at the thought of seeing him again. She only had to wait two whole days…

"I can see that you are looking forward to it," Frederick said with a half-smile.

"Very much."

XXXX

**A.N.: **_Merry Christmas! :D Yes, I know this is late! I'm so, so sorry! I haven't had nearly as much time to write as I had hoped - actually, that's not true… but I have had writers block so I didn't work on this. You'd think I would know by now that if I just start writing everything flows from there, but I keep putting it off until I have a brainwave that never comes. _

_Anyway, I've been working on this chapter for most of the day and the whole evening. My dad forgot to renew his contract with the DSTV people, so the TV was cut off today and I had nothing to do but read and write. Its been a very boring Christmas… _

_Anyway, I have a game for you guys. I'm going to give you clues as to where I am and if you get it right, you get a shout out! Here it goes:_

_Its humid, tropical, seen as 'paradise', there are lots of expensive boats and rich people and the locals speak a language that descends from French… any ideas?_

_I hope the length of this chapter somewhat makes up for the long wait. I will try to update sooner this time. _

_Until the next update (:_


	9. Chapter 9

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 9

**A.N.: **_I'm so sorry for the late update! I have been so out of it recently for some reason. Thank you guys for all the reviews I received for the last chapter! Every one of them made me smile (:_

_The winner of the "game" from the last chapter is…_

**Ambassador of Hades**

_AKA_

**King of Lucidity**

_The correct answer was the Seychelles! Although he did know that I was there because he saw my Facebook and Twitter updates, so you did sort of cheat! But there were some good guesses! I was surprised that about three people thought that I was in Canada… but I guess it was because I mentioned French. Some of you had very good guesses (Hawaii, New Orleans, Louisiana), so well done for trying!_

_I am home in South Africa now, where it is less humid and I am happier! This means that weekly updates will return! _

_I'm adding a warning for some of the content in this chapter near the end. Nothing graphic, but just so you're aware. _

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own anything to do with Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Trolldan- Sorry! Riordan. Rick Riordan. _

XXXX

Annabeth met Percy in the garden two nights later as arranged. From then on they sent messengers back and forth with notes to arrange meeting times. Frederick knew where Annabeth was going when she left dinner before anybody else every few nights. Thalia had her suspicions, but didn't want to constantly be fighting and reprimanding her sister.

About a week after Thalia married Luke, the king requested a meeting with Frederick regarding a husband for Annabeth.

"I will give you one month," the king threatened, "to marry her off. It will be difficult considering her temper, fiery personality and… unique features." He paused to think. "Or maybe it won't. I know many men find a woman playing hard to get quite attractive. And even… quite satisfying, sexually speaking." He grinned an evil smile, his lips curving upwards to show his near-perfect teeth. "I _will_ chose one of said men if you don't make a decision soon."

Frederick knew that the king was trying to rattle him; it took all of his self-control not to leap over the table and strangle the man; it angered him to hear this leader speak so disrespectfully about his beloved daughter. He knew that this was a threat; the king warning him to chose soon or else.

The king was a good leader, but not necessarily a good man.

Every day that Frederick hadn't married Annabeth off, the king searched for another possible husband for the young woman. Frederick knew that his daughter's, and therefore his own, happiness depended on him making his decision soon. If he didn't agree to her marrying Percy, the king would find a wealthy man with looks, manners and brains resembling the Minotaur.

Unfortunately, he didn't make up his mind fast enough.

"I have found the perfect husband for your daughter, Frederick," the king announced at dinner, two weeks later. "He is rich, respected and will be able to support her and their many children." He grinned madly, an evil glint in his eyes.

Annabeth began to choke on the piece of fish she had been attempting to swallow. Frederick, seated next to her, reached over and patted her on the back before turning and facing the king, his angry eyes meeting the kings evilly gleeful ones.

"You promised me more time!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "You promised one month! There are still two weeks!"

"If you had found someone, she would be engaged now," the king said, noticeably pleased with himself.

Frederick didn't reply straight away. The truth was that he had found someone. He knew the man in question would take care of Annabeth and also care about her. That man was Perseus. He hadn't told the king or Annabeth yet, because he was still thinking his idea through, even after almost three weeks. Frederick wanted to make absolutely sure that he had found the right man to marry his daughter.

He had watched Annabeth and Percy together and he could see the connection between them, as though there was a silver thread connecting the two of them. Frederick knew that his wife and stepdaughter would not be happy with him if he decided on the commander, but he cared more about Annabeth's happiness than how much he would be shouted at.

He made his final decision on the spot.

"I have found someone."

The king raised a sceptical eyebrow. Thalia and Leila glared daggers at Frederick. Luke looked bored. The queen gazed at Annabeth, gauging her reaction, while Annabeth's eyes widened and she almost choked again.

"Who, Father?" she asked, after recovering, her voice trembling very slightly.

"I am also curious," added the king.

Frederick took a deep breath; all eyes were on him. "Commander Perseus."

The reactions he received were mixed. Thalia cried out in anger and began to shout while Leila tried to console her, the king narrowed his eyes, the queen nodded solemnly, Luke looked even more uninterested than anyone had thought possible and Annabeth's face lit up in happiness.

"Really?" she asked. "You really chose him?"

Her father nodded yes. "I discussed it with him a few days ago and asked him not to tell you anything until I had made my decision."

Percy had been overjoyed when Frederick had approached him with the request that he consider marrying Annabeth. He had instantly agreed that he would if Frederick decided that he be chosen to. The commander had wanted to tell Annabeth immediately, but refrained from doing so after Frederick pleaded that he shouldn't.

"That's all very good," the king boomed as to regain the attention of everyone present, "but I have already promised her to the man I mentioned before." Once again an evil grin graced his lips, an evil glint in his eyes to match.

"You can't do that!" Annabeth cried. "Please, Your Majesty, I want to marry Percy! Not some stranger!"

"What's done is done," the king said, his tone clearly indicating that there would be no more discussion in the matter.

Annabeth glared at him from across the table before she hastily stood up and ran out of the room. She heard her father addressing the king as she left.

"Please, Your Majesty. I beg you to reconsider," Frederick pleaded. "I have found a suitable man, let her choose him!"

Annabeth missed the king's reply as she was out of earshot by then, but she was almost certain that it was a no.

At first Annabeth walked with no destination in mind, but soon she realised that her feet were leading her down a very familiar route to a very familiar destination. In no time she found herself sitting under the Cyprus tree where she always met Percy. After a few minutes of sitting and fuming, Annabeth heard footsteps and recognised them as Percy's. Annabeth jumped up and ran to meet him. When she reached him, she threw her arms around his muscled chest and rested her head on his strong shoulder. Perseus wrapped his strong yet gentle arms around Annabeth and held her tight and close. Annabeth shook in his arms from anger and suppressed tears.

"What happened?" he asked, his concern clearly apparent.

"The king has found a man to marry me off to. And he refuses to let my father arrange for you and I to marry." Her voice cracked a little near the end of her explanation and a lone tear streaked its way down her cheek.

Annabeth cringed. She had to be strong! It was what her mother would expect of her. She could not be weak, and crying because she was going to be forced to marry someone she didn't want to was childish and stupid.

"Shh," Percy soothed her. "Shh. It's alright to cry."

Annabeth pulled back. "No, its not," she muttered. "Crying is for the weak."

Percy shook his head. "Having emotions doesn't make you weak, Annabeth. It takes strength to show your true feelings."

Annabeth considered his words and realised that what Percy had said was, in fact, true. She realised that maybe by trying to be strong her whole life she had actually been weak.

She leaned into his warm embrace once more. "I suppose you're right," she admitted.

After standing in a silent embrace for a while longer, Annabeth spoke up again.

"I can't go back to my room tonight. I can't stay in the palace. I just can't be there now."

"Its OK," Percy whispered. "You can stay with me tonight. Jason is visiting with Piper until tomorrow afternoon."

Annabeth smiled. She had wanted to wake up in Percy's arms again since she had the morning after Thalia's wedding. Every morning she wished that his strong and careful arms had been wrapped lovingly around her when she woke up.

"Thank you."

XXXX

The couple lay on Percy's bed, breathing heavily. Annabeth's hands were knotted in Percy's hair, his hands gently gripping her hips and pulling her closer to him. Percy gazed into Annabeth's eyes before leaning in to kiss her again, and he realised that this was a poor show of his self-control. She met him half way and returned a passionate kiss. She shifter even closer to him so that their bodies were pressed up together.

Percy broke the kiss for a moment to breathe again.

"Are you sure?" he asked upon seeing the lust in Annabeth's eyes.

"Yes," she replied with a curt nod. "I'm sure."

XXXX

Annabeth awoke the next morning curled up with her head on Percy's naked chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her like she had longed for and their legs twisted together. She carefully shifted to a more comfortable position, trying her best not to disturb the beautiful man she was resting on. Then the realisation of what they had done the previous night hit her.

And she regretted nothing.

Percy began to stir. His arms tightened around her momentarily before relaxing again. Then he opened his beautiful green eyes and looked deeply into Annabeth's. Percy smiled sleepily.

"Good morning," he said, his voice husky and thick with sleep.

"Good morning."

Percy's brow creased with concern. "Do you regret anything?"

"No, not at all."

He smiled again. "Good. Because I don't."

He leaned in to kiss her again and held her tighter to his chest. "I really love you," he murmured so softly that Annabeth almost didn't hear.

"I love you, too."

XXXX

**A.N.: **I really hope that this was long enough to make up for the late update. But don't worry, I promise to update next weekend or even before then! And maybe that didn't really need a warning, but its there anyway.

_Please review and let me know what you thought, I really want to know (: and you can think of the reviews as being birthday presents ;D sweet sixteen tomorrow (20 January)! _

_Thanks for reading and for all the support. I've gotten so many encouraging reviews and it really means a lot! _


	10. Chapter 10

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 10

**A.N.: **_I'm back with another chapter! :D I'm going to assume that most of you enjoyed the last chapter, because it had the most reviews, follows and favourites so far! Thanks a million for all the reviews and also to everyone who said happy birthday (:_

_Also… THIS STORY IS IN TWO COMMUNITIES! _

_And they're both communities for the best stories :'D I almost cried happy tears when I saw that!_

_For reference: Baal means "possessor" or "lord, master"._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If I did, Percabeth wouldn't be in Tartarus. _

XXXX

"Where were you last night? I was worried sick that Thalia would discover you were gone!" Agathe scolded Annabeth when she returned to her room the next morning.

"I was with Percy," Annabeth replied, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips.

"Oh no," the maid whispered. "Oh no, tell me you didn't…"

Annabeth didn't reply but looked down at her sandaled feet, her face turning pink with embarrassment.

"Oh, Zeus you did. How could you be so careless, Annabeth? You're engaged to another man!" Agathe emphasized.

"A man I've never met and can't love!" Annabeth cried. "I love _Percy_! I want to marry _him_! Not a stranger who is older than me, who won't care about me!"

Annabeth held back tears. She had been on cloud nine when she woke up that morning in Percy's strong and warm arms, but Agathe had brought her back down to Earth. Agathe had reminded her of her impending future. She had shattered Annabeth's little glass bubble of happiness.

Agathe reached her arms out to embrace Annabeth, who quickly stepped into the hug. She tried to hold back her tears, but then remembered what Percy had told her the night before. _Having emotions doesn't make you weak, Annabeth. It takes strength to show your true feelings._

Remembering these words caused Annabeth to open up, and her tears began to flow freely and easily, dampening the sleeve of Agathe's chiton.

"Shh, sweet," Agathe soothed. "No use crying over something that you can't change."

"I have to change the king's mind," Annabeth mumbled into the maid's shoulder. "I have to do something."

"Leave things be, Annabeth. Everything will work it's self out, you wait and see."

XXXX

"I have some news," Thalia announced at dinner the next night. She cast her gaze over to Luke, who looked bored as always. Thalia was slightly hurt that he didn't even pretend to be interested in what she had to say, he was her husband after all. The only time he ever seemed to pay any proper attention to her was in the bedroom.

"What is it, dear?" asked Leila excitedly.

_At least someone is eager to hear my news,_ she thought.

Annabeth looked up from her meal and watched Thalia, completely expressionless. The king and queen stopped eating to show that Thalia had their full attention and Frederick looked on with polite curiosity.

And, after a pause to increase the small amount of suspense in the room –

"I'm pregnant," Thalia announced.

Leila and the queen gasped, congratulated Thalia and Luke and then began to chatter about babies and pregnancies. Frederick and the king also congratulated the couple before returning to their dinners. Luke muttered something that sounded like, "Its about time," and went back to looking bored and picking at his food.

Annabeth blanched and whispered a word of congratulations before excusing herself and hurrying from the room.

"Is she alright?" she queen asked Frederick.

"I'm not sure," Frederick answered truthfully. "If you would excuse me to go and check on her?"

"Of course," replied the queen before resuming her discussion with Leila.

Frederick found Annabeth sitting in the garden in her usual spot under the Cypress tree. She sat slouched over, her head in her hands and her body shaking slightly.

"What's wrong, Darling?" Frederick asked as he sat down next to his daughter.

"I… I realised something tonight."

Annabeth knew that she would have to tell her father what had sent her running out of the dining room. She considered for the first time that her night with Percy could have its consequences.

"I may also be pregnant," she whispered so softly Frederick wasn't sure that he had heard her correctly.

"What did you say?" he asked, praying that what he thought she had said was wrong.

Annabeth swallowed before trying to speak again.

"I may also be pregnant."

Frederick groaned and put his head in his hands, copying Annabeth's position.

"Please tell me that you're joking," he begged. "Please."

Annabeth lifter her head to look at him. She slowly shook her head from side to side.

"Well then, please tell me that if you are, Percy is the father."

Annabeth nodded her head, her face redder than one of Apollo's cows.

"I'm so sorry, Father," she whispered. "I was upset about being married off to someone else and angry with the king and I love Percy and I wanted to and he was so sweet and he didn't force me at all and he was willing to stop but I told him not to and – " her voice rose in volume and pitch with each point until Frederick pulled her into his arms and shushed her.

"You know that we can solve this problem," he mumbled into her hair. "Leila knows plants, she can make you something to get rid – "

"No!" Annabeth exclaimed. "No, I can't kill it! If there is an it… I know that I was foolish, but I can't just get rid of it!"

Frederick nodded. "I'm sorry to have suggested it. I should have known that you would be against it."

"Its fine," Annabeth muttered. "I forgive you."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the stars in the night sky. Slowly, Annabeth's eyes began to droop and she began to yawn frequently.

"I think its time for bed," her father said as he stood and helped her up. "You look exhausted."

Annabeth could only nod in reply, too tired to do anything else.

Frederick walked with Annabeth leaning heavily against him back to her room where he said good night and then left her with Agathe to change for bed.

As Frederick walked back to his own room, he wondered whether his daughter really was with child or not. They wouldn't know for a few weeks, but he was hoping that she wasn't. Who knew what the king would do if she was and he found out…

XXXX

"I have arranged a meeting," the king announced at breakfast two days later. "Baal, Annabeth's fiancé, has agreed to meet her two weeks from tomorrow."

The king grinned evilly at Annabeth when he said Baal's name. Annabeth glared back, appearing unafraid, while Frederick put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Stay calm," he muttered softly so that only she would hear.

Annabeth nodded, silently telling her father that she had heard him.

"And," she addressed the king, "what if I refuse to marry him?"

"Well, you don't really have a choice in the matter, do you?" he replied.

Annabeth bowed her head and began to pick at her meal, no longer hungry.

Thalia sat across the table and watched Annabeth, feeling sorry for her. Annabeth, unlike Thalia, had found someone who she really loved and who loved her back, but everyone was against the relationship except for their father. Thalia longed for a man who would truly love her and want her for that reason alone, not because he thought she was attractive, as Luke did.

Thalia wanted Annabeth to be happy and to be loved, but how would she and the royal family look if Annabeth, royal due to Thalia's marriage, were wedded to a common soldier? A lady couldn't marry any less than a lord. _But maybe,_ Thalia mused, _I should let her have the one form of happiness I will never know._

From that moment, Thalia decided not to go against her stepsister on the matter of Commander Perseus.

XXXX

Over the next two weeks, Annabeth had spent the night with Percy a few more times, although they had not been intimate again. Annabeth knew that after one time she may or may not have fallen pregnant, and she didn't want to risk that fear becoming true if, in fact, it wasn't.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though she was. Because two weeks later, the day before she was due to meet her fiancé, Annabeth was ill.

When Agathe woke her in the morning, Annabeth leaped out of bed and ran to the nearest pot plant, promptly bringing her dinner back up onto the soil. Agathe rushed over, pulled Annabeth's hair back out of her face and began to rub the girl's back soothingly, leaving only to fetch a cup of water and a cloth from the vanity.

After Annabeth had emptied her stomach, she turned to face her maid and gladly took the piece of linen she was offered to wipe her lips before taking the cup and rinsing her mouth out.

"Agathe," she whispered, ashen faced. "I'm scared."

"I know, sweet, I know," Agathe soothed, wrapping her arms around Annabeth's shaking figure. She was afraid too, but she needed to be a rock for the young woman now. "But you must tell me, how many days late are you?"

Annabeth counted the days back to when her last cycle had started. She counted again, because that couldn't be right. And again. And again. But there was no denying the truth, and recounting would not change the number she ended up with.

"Twelve days," she breathed out. "Twelve days late. Oh, Zeus, Agathe! What am I going to do?"

"Don't panic," the maid warned. "You will get through this, and I will be right next to you and so will your father."

"But what about the king? He could have me executed for this!" Annabeth cried.

"Thalia won't let him," Agathe promised. "She cares about you, and she won't let that happen, I swear."

Annabeth relaxed. Thalia had been acting differently to her these past weeks, more sisterly, and Annabeth was relieved that she would probably be able to convince the king to not execute her.

But she had another problem now. She was pregnant with Percy's child and engaged to a man she was meeting for the first time the next day. If she had met Baal sooner she would have been able to pass the child off as his. It was too late for that now. Annabeth was going to have to tell the truth. And with any luck, Baal would refuse to marry a pregnant girl.

XXXX

Agathe spent hours getting a nervous Annabeth ready to meet her fiancé the next day. She washed and braided Annabeth's hair; a golden headpiece that rested on her forehead was weaved into the blonde curls. Agathe then helped dress the young woman in her best chiton and jewellery and applied kohl as an eyeliner and eye shadow to Annabeth's beautiful face. The dark makeup brought out her grey eyes, making them even more beautiful and intimidating than usual.

Annabeth was lead to the dining hall for dinner where she would see Baal for the first time. Agathe opened the door and took a step inside to introduce her.

"Lady Annabeth, Daughter of Frederick." Her voice rang out clearly through the large dining hall.

Agathe turned to give Annabeth one last reassuring look as the girl took a step forward.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the familiar man sitting opposite her place at the table. He caught her gaze and grinned, showing his yellowing teeth. Annabeth looked despairingly at her father who cast his gaze downwards. She looked back at the man, whose smile now sent a shiver down her spine.

He was very familiar because he was the man who had come on to her at the wedding.

**A.N.: **_I'm sorry to end it there, but I really didn't have time to continue and I really wanted to post this today. And I typed this instead of doing my maths homework, which I now have to complete at nine o'clock tonight. And maths is even worse at that time, believe me I've done maths that late lots!_

_But any way, I will update ASAP! It might only be next weekend, but that depends on my workload this week. _

_Please review! Until next time (: _


	11. Chapter 11

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 11

**A.N.: **_WE'VE REACHED 200 REVIEWS! :D Give yourselves a hand for being such awesome readers! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I'm amazed that this story has reached 200 so quickly. _

_Chapter 9 received a whopping 31 reviews (the most I've ever gotten for a chapter in any story), but chapter 10 only got half of that. Can we beat the 31-review record? _

_And sorry about the late update! I was away last weekend and even though I had my laptop with me, I had no time to write. Also, I was working on a short story for a literary festival that I am entering. Wish me luck!_

**Disclaimer: **_I am not a forty-nine-year-old man who used to be an English teacher from Texas with two sons and a wife. I am a sixteen-year-old high school girl from South Africa with a dead love life. Therefore, I am not Rick Riordan and cannot own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. _

XXXX

Annabeth stared wide-eyed at the man she would be forced to marry. The longer she gazed at him, the more afraid she became. His beady black eyes roamed over her body, sending a panicked chill up and down her spine. He was fat and balding, his teeth yellowing and a few missing. He had the same fear-instilling gaze he had when drunk. Annabeth noted a glass of alcohol in his hand, and a full bottle in front of his setting. If he was an alcoholic, her life was going to be so much harder than it already was.

"Annabeth," the king greeted, unusually cheerful. "Come and meet Baal. You're going to be his wife."

When the king said this, Baal's eyes roamed over Annabeth's body once more, lingering on her chest and lips. He smirked. She began to feel nauseous.

Frederick stood up from his place at the table and walked over to his daughter.

"I'm so sorry, Annabeth," he whispered too softly for anyone else to hear. "I tried to convince him to let Percy marry you, but..."

"Its going to be alright, Father." The way in which she said it made it sound like she was trying to convince herself as well as her father.

Frederick smiled tightly before leading Annabeth over to the table.

"This is my daughter, Annabeth." Frederick introduced her to Baal. "Annabeth, this is your-" Frederick's voice cracked slightly on the word, "fiancé."

Baal smiled at Annabeth, revealing all his crooked and yellowing teeth.

"We meet at last," he said with a devilish grin. His voice was soft and raspy, but Annabeth was sure that he wouldn't struggle to be heard when aggravated.

"We have actually met before," she replied stiffly, hoping to get the message across that she had no intention of marrying him without putting up a fight.

Baal narrowed his eyes in concentration. "Ah, yes," he said, suddenly remembering. "We met at the wedding."

Annabeth nodded, her face void of all expression.

Conversation ceased momentarily, but picked up again when the meal was served. But Annabeth remained silent, staring at her plate, too nauseous to touch her food. Instead, she moved it around her plate and broke it up into little pieces. She guessed it was a combination of pregnancy hormones, the smell of alcohol and rich food and seeing Baal eating like a pig that cause her nausea.

"Do you feel alight, dear?" Frederick asked. "You don't look well."

"I'm fine, Father, I just feel ill."

Frederick had a hunch that he knew the reason behind Annabeth not feeling well, but he decided not to press her for answers until they were alone.

Dinner passed much too slowly in Annabeth's opinion. All she wanted was to leave the dining hall and go find Percy. She didn't want to tell him that she was pregnant yet, but she knew that she would not be able to put it off forever. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts, weighing up the pros and cons of telling him soon, that she didn't notice her father calling her name until he shook her shoulder.

"Sorry," she apologised, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"We're going out onto the balcony. Luke is going to explain more about his 'new gods' and he wants us all to listen." Frederick helped Annabeth up. She stood shakily, feeling dizzy.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Frederick inquired.

"I'm fine," Annabeth mumbled, though she leaned heavily on Frederick as they walked outside.

Luke was in the middle of explaining how when he was crowned, all existing temples would be demolished and rebuilt for the new gods.

"Each god shall be replaced with one of a different name," he explained to Baal while the king and queen watched disapprovingly. "Our present gods ignore us, but the new ones won't."

"Marvellous ideas," Baal mused. "And I would be happy to assist in any way possible."

"And when Zeus kills us all for replacing him and the Olympians?" Annabeth asked.

Luke began to turn red with anger, while Baal just laughed.

"Stupid girl," he muttered. "Zeus ignores us, he won't care if he's replaced."

Annabeth fumed at being called 'stupid', but she didn't let her anger show. Instead, she merely raised an inquiring eyebrow.

Baal walked over to stand besides her. "You don't have to worry about that," he assured as he put an arm around her waist, his hand resting a little too low on her hip, making Annabeth extremely uncomfortable.

"I'll keep you safe," Baal whispered in her ear, his breath reeking with alcohol rushing over her face.

His proximity and his smell were too much. And combined with the morning sickness Annabeth had been fighting for most of the afternoon, it was too much. Before she could excuse herself, or pull away, or even lean over the balcony or put her head into a pot plant, Annabeth felt her stomach flip before emptying its contents all over her future husband.

Annabeth wrenched herself away from Baal, who at the same time pushed her away, and moved to a giant pot plant before she threw up again inside it. Frederic and Thalia ran over to Annabeth and the king and queen tried to calm an extremely angry Baal. Leila and Luke stood and watched everything that was happening around them, Luke looking unimpressed that he had been interrupted and Leila's eyes wide in surprise.

"I knew you weren't fine," Frederick muttered while he held Annabeth's hair out of her face.

"She didn't look well all through dinner," Thalia stated while soothingly rubbing her stepsister's back.

When Annabeth had ceased throwing up, Thalia offered to walk her back to her room.

"Thank you, Thalia. Father, I think you had better come too. I need to speak to the both of you," said Annabeth, her voice quivering. She would have to tell them, and it was likely that her father had already guessed why she was ill.

The king had called in a couple of guards to restrain Baal, although Annabeth was sure that he would have had no problem letting the disgusting drunk kill her.

One of the guards happened to be Jason, and his eyes widened when he saw the state Annabeth was in.

"Tell Jason to send Percy to my room, please," Annabeth whispered to Thalia. "He's the blonde one."

Thalia nodded and watched as Annabeth leaned heavily on Frederick while he walked her back to her room, Leila following behind. She turned back to the king and queen still trying to calm the enraged man who was still being restrained by the two guards. Thalia noticed that the one Annabeth had said was Jason, the blonde, had the same eyes as she did. Eyes her mother had said she got from her father… and that could only mean –

Jason felt rather than saw the future queen watching him. When he met her gaze he, too, realised that their eyes were identical, not only to each other but to Zeus as well.

By this time, Luke had gone off alone somewhere and the king and queen had managed to force a bottle of some potent alcohol into Baal's hands who was now taking huge gulps of whatever it contained. Thalia shivered. There was no way she would let Annabeth be married to this drunkard, he would beat her in a temper, and maybe even kill her! The drink seemed to soothe his temper and the guards were dismissed.

Jason cautiously made his way over to Thalia and stood silently before her, examining her eyes while she did the same to him.

"I'm sorry, I've forgotten my manners," Jason apologised and bowed deeply to her.

"That's fine," Thalia mumbled as Jason stood up straight again. "It's just, your eyes –"

"My father's eyes, so I'm told," Jason stated. "I was wondering how you have the same."

"My mother said that I inherited my father's eyes and his temper on a mild scale," Thalia explained. "I've never met him though, so I don't know how much of that is true. I won't mind when Luke enforces worshipping the new gods."

"You're a demigod?" queried Jason. "A daughter of Zeus?"

"Yes, and you're his son?"

Jason nodded is head yes. "I thought I was his only child."

"So did I…" Thalia trailed off. "We can discuss this later. Right now you need to find Perseus and tell him to meet me in the garden."

"Is everything alright?" Jason queried.

"Annabeth needs his company."

XXXX

Almost an hour had passed by the time Percy reached Annabeth. He had met Thalia in the garden, half expecting to be shouted at for no reason. But Thalia merely grabbed his arm in a bone-crushing grip and began to drag him into the palace, alerting Percy to the fact that she was worried for her stepsister.

"What's wrong?" he asked. When Jason had relayed the message from Thalia that Annabeth needed him, fear bubbled up inside of him. What had happened that was so bad Annabeth hadn't gone to look for him herself?

"I think you should hear it from her," Thalia replied, not breaking her stride. She didn't know what was wrong yet, but she was sure that Frederick would tell her when she got back to Annabeth's room.

They hurried through the seemingly endless hallways, taking turn after turn but never seeming to get any closer, in Percy's opinion. He was grateful that he had Thalia to guide him; otherwise he would have been lost ages ago.

Finally, after taking yet another turn, Percy heard quiet sobs coming from a door down the hall. That was all the invitation he needed to pull himself from Thalia's grip and take off running down the hallway. As he neared the room Percy realised that there was somebody speaking in a raised and angry voice; he identified the voice as Annabeth's stepmother's.

"How could you have been so careless?" she yelled. "You know that you are considered part of the royal family now, yet you disgrace us like this!"

"Leila, that's enough!" Frederick thundered just as Percy entered the room. All heads turned to him.

Frederick and Leila, both fuming, and Agathe sitting next to where Annabeth was laying on her bed, trying to soothe her. Annabeth's silent tears traced black trails down her cheeks from the kohl and her eyes were red and puffy.

Percy was completely taken aback, having never seen Annabeth so vulnerable. His eyes didn't leave hers as he stood and stared.

"Just what do you think you're doing here?" Leila fumed. "You have some nerve –"

"I told him to come," Thalia interrupted.

Percy ignored Leila's shouting and rushed over to Annabeth's side. Agathe stood up and moved to a corner, making room for Percy to sit on the bed next to Annabeth. He took her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes.

Frederick pulled Leila outside and motioned for Thalia and Agathe to follow, giving the couple some privacy.

"What happened?" he whispered, his worry evident in his voice.

Annabeth closed her eyes and shook her head before looking back at Percy.

"I… I…" she stammered. Annabeth had no idea how to tell him. What would he do? Would he tell her to get rid of it? Would he leave her? Would he –

"Annabeth, tell me, please," he begged, taking her face in his hands. "I promise I will here for you, no matter what."

The emotion in his voice compelled Annabeth to blurt out what she was struggling to say.

"I'm pregnant," she sobbed. "I'm pregnant…"

Percy stared at the beautiful girl in front of him. She was pregnant. Pregnant with_ his_ child. He smiled winningly at her; he was going to have a family with the woman he loved!

"And… And I may have gotten sick on the man I'm supposed to be marrying."

Percy stared at Annabeth in shock.

"He just smelled so bad and he was holding me too closely and his was uglier than a telkhine and –"

Despite the seriousness of the whole situation, Percy smiled and began to laugh. Annabeth also grinned for a moment before she fully realised the grave situation she was in.

"I could be executed," she whispered. Fresh tears began to streak more black paths down her pale cheeks.

Percy pulled her to his chest and kissed her forehead.

"We can get through this," he assured her. "Thalia seems to be acting differently towards the idea of us, so maybe she will convince the king to not execute you," he said, his tone hopeful.

"But what if Baal still wants to marry me?" Annabeth shuddered at the thought.

"If he does, he will have to go through me first," Percy assured her. "I won't let him marry you."

"Promise?" Annabeth whispered.

"I promise."

He leaned in and softly kissed her lips.

"What about the baby?" he asked.

"I'm keeping it," she stated. "Leila tried to convince me to let her give me medicine to kill it, but my father and I wouldn't let her."

"Good," Percy replied. "Because I wouldn't let her either."

After a moments silence, Annabeth asked the question that had been on her mind since she realised her situation.

"Do you still not regret anything?" she mumbled.

Percy just kissed her chastely before pulling back and staring into her eyes.

"I will never regret anything," he promised.

XXXX

**A.N.: **_so I hope you guys liked this chapter. Can we try to beat the 31 reviews for a chapter record? :D _

_I had an idea for a new song-fic, so I'm going to start working on that once my short story is finished. Hopefully I will have another chapter of this story for you guys next week, so look out for it! _


	12. Chapter 12

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 12

**A.N.: **_First: I AM SO SORRY! I seem to have picked up this bad habit pf updating late. I hate it when people take forever to update, but then I feel like I do that too. _

_My excuse this time is that I wasn't sure if I had or had not said something before and I needed to check that first (thanks to King of Lucidity for helping me with that). And also I've been so exhausted after school every day that when I get home in the evenings I just collapse and read. I will do my best to update this weekend, but no promises because I have assignments to finish. Grade 10 is jam packed._

_Second: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! _

_And third: A got a PM from LightningAttitude saying that the last chapter wouldn't show up. I also experienced that when I received an email for a story update. I only managed to read the chapter the next day. I think this was a problem on the website, but I still apologise if you weren't able to read the chapter straight away. _

**Disclaimer: **_I forgot this in the last chapter… but you guys all know I don't own Percy Jackson, so…_

XXXX

Annabeth woke up the next morning to shouting. She gently pulled her body out of Percy's grasp and tiptoed to the door. She stood against the wall, making sure that whoever was outside didn't see her. She realised the two arguing voices belonged to her father and the king.

"How do you expect me to marry her off to Baal if she's pregnant?" the king roared.

"I told you that I found someone for her to marry," Frederick replied calmly. "She rebelled because she doesn't want to marry Baal. She loves Perseus! And I wouldn't be surprised if Baal doesn't want her after what happened last night."

The king sighed. "I suppose you're right."

Annabeth's breath caught in her throat. _Would he let her marry Percy now? _

"I suppose no other man will want a woman pregnant by somebody else," the king continued. "I'll tell Baal that the engagement is off. She can marry Percy, only because there is no other option."

"Thank you, Your Maj –"

Frederick was interrupted by Annabeth's shout of joy. He and the king turned their heads in the direction of her room. Annabeth clamped her hand over her mouth and ran back to her bed.

She had woken Percy up. He groggily sat up in bed; eyes still bleary from sleep and his hair messed up.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice thick from sleep. "What happened?"

Annabeth flung her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"My father told the king. And the king said he would tell Baal the engagement is off," she answered. "And then he said that we could be together!"

Annabeth wasn't sure why she was she was being so out of character, but she decided that she would allow herself to be, just this once.

Percy didn't say anything. Instead he took her face tenderly between his hands and kissed her. She smiled into the kiss and kissed him back. He tangled his hands, rough and calloused from years of brandishing a sword and yet still so gentle, into her hair.

When he pulled back he looked lovingly into her eyes.

"I love you so much," he whispered. "More than you know."

"I love you, too."

XXXX

Unfortunately, when things begin to go right something else usually goes tragically wrong. Two days after the king approved of Annabeth marrying Percy, he fell fatally ill. Nobody was able to diagnose him, and after examining him and giving him remedies for every disease she could think of, Leila predicted that nothing could save the king.

"When he dies Luke will be crowned, and he will begin to implement his new gods," Annabeth told Percy while they were sitting under the Cyprus tree in the garden one afternoon. "You and I know that Zeus will be furious."

"I know," he muttered. "But there's nothing we can do to change his mind."

"We have to do something!" Annabeth insisted.

"There's nothing we can do," Percy sighed. "We will just have to keep our faith in secret, and try to get as many people to as well."

"Luke will find out."

"Well no matter what happens, I promise I will protect you," he vowed. "And our child."

He gently placed a hand on Annabeth's abdomen and kissed her temple. "The two of you are the most important people in the world to me."

"Thank you," Annabeth whispered back.

She turned her head to capture his lips and kissed him lovingly. They were interrupted when a servant rushed into the garden.

"Miss Annabeth! Miss Annabeth!" he called.

Annabeth and Percy broke apart and turned to face the servant.

"Yes?" she asked. She saw how flustered the poor boy looked and realised that something must be wrong.

"The- the king… he's…"

"No," Annabeth gasped.

"What?" Percy asked, puzzled. Then realisation dawned on his face.

But before Annabeth had confirmed his guess, she had taken off running towards where she knew the king and queen's room was. Percy leapt up from where he had been sitting and ran after her.

Upon reaching the king's room, Annabeth saw her father, Leila and Thalia standing outside.

"Is he…?" she trailed off.

Frederick merely nodded.

"No…" she muttered, just as Percy appeared from around the corner.

"What?" he asked, completely out of breath. "Is he really…?"

"He's…" Annabeth tried, her voice shaking. She decided that she wouldn't be able to speak properly if she tried, too overcome by shock. Instead she nodded solemnly.

Although Annabeth had never liked the king, she and Percy both knew that only bad could come from Luke's idea of introducing new gods. If the king was gone, nothing would stand in Luke's way and everything around them would crumble down.

Percy took Annabeth into his arms and held her tight. "I promised you we would get through this, and I'm not breaking that promise."

XXXX

The following day the king's shroud was burned and his ashes scattered from the highest point of the palace to float on the wind. Luke comforted his weeping mother, but showed no remorse for his deceased father.

This puzzled Annabeth. Luke's lack of emotion towards the death of his own father… his hatred of the gods…

Then something just clicked in Annabeth's mind.

_Maybe he's a demigod… The king was probably not his real father. But then who was?_

It would make sense. Many demigods felt abandoned by their godly parent, but none had ever gone so far as wanting to replace the Olympians. Then again, maybe that was because none of them had had the power to make the change.

This idea played in her mind the rest of the day. Only much later that night did she say anything to Percy. When she told him her theory he mused it over before deciding that it was a logical explanation.

"He might be doing this out of anger to his parent," Annabeth further explained.

"Possible…"

"But who is the parent?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Percy replied. "It would have to be one of the male Olympians. He was always much more loving to the queen than the king."

They spent a while making a mental list of all the gods who could possibly be Luke's father, but had no luck.

XXXX

As hard as it was, Annabeth tried her best not to panic too much. But the thought of what could happen to them was terrifying, and her imagination always seemed to run away with her. Luckily Percy was always there to reassure and calm her.

His constant promises of getting the two of them and their child through whatever was to come always managed to prevent Annabeth loosing her mind with worry.

Leila also reminded her not to stress, as it was bad for the baby, on a regular basis. Annabeth's stepmother seemed to have put their differences aside, as Thalia had done, and was being much kinder towards the younger woman.

Annabeth and Thalia had grown closer since the king's death. Partially because they could relate more to each other, both being pregnant, and because (even though Thalia was supportive of Luke's ideas) she was scared too. The stepsisters spent more time together, talking and just enjoying each other's company. Everyone except for Luke was happy to see them bonding. But then Luke was never happy about anything.

The only exception was the day he was crowned. He smiled all day, even though it didn't once reach his eyes. It was more of a smirk that played around on his lips.

At the end of the ceremony, he gave all the guests his same speech on his idea of new gods. His persuading voice managed to win most of the nobles over, but a few wiser men were not convinced. When one addressed the matter of Zeus destroying all of civilisation, Luke cried out in rage.

"How many times to I have to explain?" he thundered. "The Olympians ignore us! They couldn't care less if we worshipped them or not! Forget them!"

Still the unconvinced remained unconvinced.

XXXX

Luke immediately began tearing down temples and smashing statues. A law was put in place ordering immediate execution for anyone who dared to worship the Olympians. Of course if a person prayed silently nobody else would know, but Annabeth decided not to point this out in fear that Luke would think of another way to punish people faithful to their gods.

The new king had decided on having one main temple for all his gods, as it would be much faster to build only one. Luke began to interview and 'audition' artists to decorate the rebuilt temple once it had been completed.

He was told it could take a year or maybe two to complete construction, but that wasn't good enough for Luke. So he forced half the palace servants and every unemployed man in the land to assist with the building. In addition to the extra workers, he extended working hours to ensure the temple would be finished as soon as was possible.

"He's going to work those poor men to death," Annabeth grumbled to her father after breakfast one morning, just after Luke had told them all about the additional workers. "Then he won't have anybody to build his stupid temple."

"The gods won't let him get away with this," Frederick assured her. "Something will stop him."

"What ever that 'something' is, I hope it arrives soon."

"Me, too, Annabeth. Me, too."

XXXX

**A.N.: **_not a great chapter, I know, but the drama and action is going to start soon… lots of stuff to come! _

_I have a lot of homework to finish this weekend (namely a history essay on political ideals in the French Revolution, a critical oral on Forrest Gump for English and a geography data handling task). But if I can get that all done there will be another chapter up by Monday! _

_Thanks for reading and reviewing if you do (:_


	13. Chapter 13

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 13

**A.N.: **_OK, before you grab the pitchforks and light the torches, at least let me explain. At the end of last term, I had exams to study for that took much more time than I expected, my history essay cause a massive case of writers block and I was away this past weekend with no internet access. So please, before you post any hate reviews, let me say that I am truly, truly sorry for not updating in forever! I will try my absolute best to not let it happen again. _

_I tried to make this as long as I could, but it got late and I need to be up early so this is as far as I got. _

_There is a major time lapse, but I was blocked and this is the only point I could actually start writing from. I hope you like it (:_

XXXX

Thalia stood outside Annabeth's shared bedroom with Percy and cringed as she listened to her sister scream. She clutched Corinna - her month old, first-born daughter – securely to her chest. She shut her eyes tightly as Annabeth let out a blood-curdling cry and tried her best to cover Corinna's ears.

Corinna was almost a carbon copy of her mother. She had the same blue eyes, creamy complexion and pitch-black hair. Luke hadn't cared about the appearance of the baby, but he had hoped for a son and was quite upset when he heard that his child was a girl. Thalia, however, was overjoyed to have a daughter.

Inside the room, Leila and a royal doctor were tending to Annabeth. They had tried to keep Percy out, but he insisted on being with Annabeth during the birth or their first child and refused to leave her side. He had not budged at all during all the hours they had been there.

He grasped one of her hands in both of his, knuckles white from her tight grip. It pained him to see the woman he loved in such agony, but he knew that all he could do was be there for her.

"Breathe, Anna," he choked out when he noticed that she wasn't due to the strain or labour. "Breathe."

"I'm… Trying…" she gasped out. "Don't leave me!"

"Never," Percy promised, his voice strained. "I'll always be with you."

Percy closed his eyes and tightened his grip on her hand. It was unbearable for him to see her in such pain; sweat beaded on her forehead, her face scrunched up, her knuckles white from holding his hand in a vice like grip.

Annabeth nodded her head in satisfaction, and then let out another terrible scream as a contraction hit.

Thalia turned her back to the door, her eyes closed and Corinna held tightly to her. Thalia knew that she probably should have left her daughter in the nursery, away from the horrors of Annabeth's screams, but she couldn't bear to part with the child even for a minute at that moment. She needed someone to hold.

All of a sudden, everything was quiet, before a new cry cut into the silence. A baby's cry.

Thalia rushed inside, just as Leila shooed the doctor outside, to see Percy staring in awe at his child and Annabeth lying slumped in bed, her eyes closed and her breathing back to normal. Leila cleaned the baby and wrapped it in a blanket before handing the child to its mother.

"A son," she said with a smile. "And perfectly healthy."

Percy gently reached out and touched the infant's soft, fuzzy black hair. The child opened his eyes to reveal grey eyes, exactly like those of his mother.

"He's perfect," whispered Percy.

Annabeth smiled up at her husband. "He looks just like you."

"Except for his eyes." Percy grinned. "What shall we name him?"

He continued to caress his son's head.

The infant had stopped crying and was looking around the room and at his parent, a curious expression on his face and a mischievous smile gracing his lips. Well, as much as he could manage as a newborn.

"Hilarion," Annabeth decided. "_Cheerful_."

"Perfect."

Percy leaned in to give his wife a loving kiss, before gently pressing his lips to his newborn son's forehead.

XXXX

"Well?"

Frederick rushed over to his wife who was waiting outside Annabeth's room for him. "How is she? How's the baby?"

Leila smiled at the father's concern for his daughter and grandchild.

"Annabeth is perfectly fine," she assured him. "And so is the baby. They've been waiting for you."

Frederick cleared his throat, straitened his chiton and walked into the room. When he saw his daughter lying there with a baby cradled in her arms he almost broke down and cried. It seemed as though Annabeth had only told him the previous day that she was pregnant and scared, and now he watched as she stared lovingly at her child with her husband next to her.

"Can I meet my grandchild?" he asked quietly.

Annabeth looked up to see her father standing in the doorway. She smiled.

"Of course, Father."

Frederick walked towards his daughter, nervous and excited to meet her child. As he neared, he saw the infant's features more clearly: hair as black as midnight, eyes as grey as thunderclouds and soft rosy cheeks. The child was a perfect mixture of his parents.

"His name is Hilarion," Annabeth whispered.

Just then Hilarion smiled in his sleep and let out a baby noise, somewhere between a gurgle and a giggle.

Frederick chuckled. "It seems appropriate."

"He's going to be quite the trouble-maker," muttered Percy. "Definitely going to keep us on our toes."

Just then Annabeth yawned, and she realised how tired she really was, not that she didn't expect it after going into labour at midnight and finally giving birth almost thirteen hours later. But the hard work had finally caught up.

Percy carefully took Hilarion from his wife, and gently kissed Annabeth's dry lips.

"Sleep," he told her. "You need to rest."

She nodded silently and closed her eyes. "You'll keep him with you?" she asked, not wanting anybody else to look after her child while she slept.

"Of course," Percy promised. "I'll stay by your side while you sleep. Now get some rest."

Annabeth drifted off, falling into a peaceful sleep.

XXXX

A week later was the opening of Luke's new temple. Every man, woman and child were forced to attend no matter how much they disagreed with Luke's ideas. Thousands of people gathered outside the temple to witness the official opening.

Luke stood on the top marble stair, Thalia to his left with Corinna cradled in her arms. Annabeth stood behind her sister, her week old son in her arms, Percy to her right and her father and stepmother to her left. Luke's mother flanked him on his right.

"Citizens!" Luke began. "I welcome you to the opening of our new temple! Here, we shall worship Jupiter! The King of the Skies and Lord of the Gods! Today, we replace the Olympians and all they represented with new gods! Any person found guilty of worshipping an Olympian will be executed at once. You will teach your children the ways of Jupiter and his brethren, not the Olympians."

Next to him, Thalia was shaking. She had advised Luke against worshipping his new gods, but he had only ignored her. After a while, he grew tired of hearing his wife defy him, so he lashed out towards her with harsh words. Thalia hadn't brought up the subject again. All she wanted was to be a good wife, and if he said things like he had to her then she was doing something wrong.

But she was terrified of what would happen. Nothing good would come from this, of that she was certain.

Luke turned to face the entrance of the temple and raised his hands. "I declare Jupiter's first temple in use!"

Then he knelt and began to pray.

The assembled people, not sure what to do, followed his lead and knelt on the dusty ground. But not one of them prayed to Jupiter.

Annabeth glanced at Percy. The look he gave her clearly stated, _If we don't we shall die. _They both knelt.

All of a sudden there was a clap of thunder, and in a puff of smoke a man appeared on the marble floor directly in front of Luke. He had dark brown hair, neatly cut, and a beard. He was wearing traditional Greek war attire, winged sandals and held a caduceus in his hand. The man was Hermes, god of travellers, thieves and doctors.

Immediately, the people began to bow down even lower. Luke stood speechless, staring at the god before him.

"You're making a mistake, son," Hermes said. "Abandoning the Olympians will do you no good."

The god's expression was pained.

"Did he call Luke 'son'?" Percy asked Annabeth in a whisper. She nodded in reply.

"He's also a demigod…"

"I know exactly what I'm doing, and it is for the good of the kingdom!" Luke argued. "You Olympians don't care about us humans, but these gods will!"

An agitated murmur went up through the crowd. None of the assembled felt that the gods had not cared for them. When they had prayed, they got answers. They saw the Olympians at work in everything. But apparently their king did not.

"My son, I know you feel that way," Hermes continued. "But serving new gods will not change anything for the better. It will only anger Zeus. And we Olympians have never ignored or forgotten our people."

"I've seen you once in all my life!" Luke thundered. "You, my father, have not bothered to see me!"

"It is like that for all demigods," Hermes explained. "It is a rule I cannot change!"

"Well it's too late now." Luke's voice had softened to barely a whisper.

"I see," Hermes said with a sigh. "I only wish you had changed your mind while there was still a chance."

With that, Hermes disappeared in another puff of smoke.

Luke turned to find his subjects staring wide-eyed at him.

"Well?" he cried. "Back to your duties!"

XXXX

Percy and Annabeth sat in their garden, under the Cyprus tree, baby Hilarion slept cradled in Annabeth's arms. They hadn't yet spoken about what had happened at the temple as they had travelled back to the palace in Luke's company, meaning they had no opportunity to talk about him or what had happened.

"What do you think Hermes meant when he said 'while there was still a chance'?" Percy asked.

"I think Zeus is preparing something," Annabeth replied. "And I'm scared of what that might be."

Percy pulled her towards his chest and held her tightly against him, their child still asleep in her arms.

"Me too, but I will always protect you and Hilarion," he promised. "If things get too bad, we can always leave."

He gently kissed her lips, cupping her face in his hands.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

Annabeth didn't really want to leave her family, but she supposed that she might be able to convince her father to leave as well. But what about Thalia? There was no way Thalia would leave Luke. She decided not to linger on those thoughts, especially since nothing was certain yet. And there was no point in worrying. Was there?

**A.N.: **_That was actually quite a long chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and the wait was sort of worthwhile (: _

_The name Corinna means "maiden", and Hilarion means "cheerful" for those of you who have forgotten already._

_Please review and tell me what you think! They inspire me :P _


	14. Chapter 14

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 14

**A.N.: **_I'm back! :D here is the next chapter! Sorry it took so long. Writers block… __**sigh**__! Anyway, thank you for the reviews! They were all amazing! (Wow, I've used a lot of exclamation points…) oh, and blame my history heritage assignment on Freedom Day for the late update. It ate my writing time. Literally._

_A huge thank you to hockeygirl05 (guest), your review was amazing! It really inspired me and I hope the wait was worth it (:and I'm sorry I took so long ):_

**Disclaimer: **_You guys should know by now that I'm not Rick Riordan, so I have no rights to Percy Jackson and the Olympians._

XXXX

Months passed, and nothing happened. Despite the tangible feeling of impending doom, noticeable, it seemed, to every person in the palace aside from Luke, Annabeth had begun to calm down and had stopped waking up every morning and wondering if it would be the last day she woke up to her drooling husband's arms wrapped around her.

Everything continued on as normal, although now most people were silently worshipping the Olympians in secret. They had decided to take the risk, because if they worshipped Luke's gods they would perish for sure.

King Luke's new laws prevented the citizens from celebrating any holidays associated with the 'old gods', and he made sure that any person found guilty of treason (treason according to him, anyway) was executed on the spot. The people weren't even allowed a trial.

Meanwhile, the death of her husband was taking its toll on the queen. She was noticeably older and frailer looking, and although she spent many hours with her daughter-in-law and grandchild, Thalia's family as well as the servants had noticed how old she suddenly appeared.

Frederick approached the queen and voiced his concerns about her over exerting herself, but she had merely brushed him off and said that she wanted to help Thalia as much as she could, especially since the young queen was pregnant again.

Corinna and Hilarion enjoyed playing together and drove their mothers mad by getting up too all sorts of mischief. Thalia and Annabeth greatly appreciated the fact that they had time to sped together and repair their relationship. Luke on the other hand didn't want his royal child to be around the son of a mere army official.

At first Percy and Annabeth paid no attention to Luke, nor did Thalia, but soon she began to side with her husband and began spending less and less time with Annabeth, which caused a growing chink in their relationship. One that had almost healed.

"I have to support him, even if I disagree with him," she explained to Annabeth.

Annabeth decided that she could understand Thalia's perspective, even though she didn't support it. She knew that she would back Percy up, because he was a much better person than Luke and would think about the needs of others before making harsh decisions.

"I understand that," Annabeth replied, "but couldn't you reason with him? Tell him that you want our children to be friends?"

"I have, Annabeth." Thalia hung her head. "He refuses to listen."

Annabeth sighed. "Maybe I could get him to see the light?"

Thalia shook her head no. "He won't pay you any attention."

"I'll make him listen!" Annabeth was adamant.

"No," Thalia pleaded. "I'll talk to him again, but please don't say anything to him."

Annabeth grudgingly agreed. When she later recalled the conversation to Percy, he sided with Thalia.

"Your sister is right."

"But-"

"Annabeth, Luke is killing people to make sure he has control. If you go and upset him what do you think he will do? How far would he go? I don't want to see anything happen to you," he said, his brow creased with worry and his eyes shining with love and concern for her.

"I'm sorry if I've worried you," Annabeth whispered. "But I just don't want Luke to get away with doing things that are good for nobody but himself."

Percy took her hands in his and kissed her forehead, his lips leaving a lingering heat on her skin. She smiled at the contact. His calloused hands were warm and comforting around hers, and she relished the feeling when he wrapped his arms around her slim body, pulling her close.

"I know you want to do what's right," he whispered. "I understand. But there is no chance of reasoning when it comes to Luke."

Annabeth nodded. "I know."

Although Percy could always calm her, make her feel safe and reassure her of anything, Annabeth still had the feeling that things would get worse before they got better. The thought was horrible, and she wanted that feeling to be a figment of her imagination but she couldn't shake it. She was sure it was a warning, despite how silly it seemed.

Percy noticed how she was suddenly quieter and stiller in his arms. He had learned how to read her and could always tell if something was bothering her.

"Tell me," he muttered into her hair. "What's bothering you?"

Annabeth sighed. She didn't really want to say anything in case it was just her imagination. But telling Percy would ease her burden.

"I get the feeling that bad things will happen before anything good. It's ridiculous but…"

"I do, too."

Although Annabeth was frightened that it wasn't just her who felt that, it was also a relief that she wasn't alone in her troubles.

XXXX

"I am building another temple," Luke announced the following morning.

His revelation was met with silence and a few raised eyebrows.

It was breakfast time. Annabeth sat next to Percy who held Hilarion on his lap. Opposite Annabeth was Thalia with Corinna, and next to her Frederick and Leila. Luke as, as usual, occupied the seat at the head of the table, his mother opposite him.

"Closer to the palace this time," he continued. "And bigger."

"That's great, Luke." Thalia's voice was soft and fragile. Annabeth knew that Thalia definitely did not think another temple would be great, and was only saying what she thought she should.

"Are you sure that's wise?" The words had escaped Annabeth's mouth before she could stop them. Luke glared at her and opened his mouth to reply but Annabeth cut him off. "I'm surprised that Zeus hasn't wiped out the kingdom yet! Another temple will ensure his wrath-"

"_Enough_!" Luke's voice echoed through the room. "I am the king and I will make the decisions! Not you!"

Percy took one of Annabeth's hands and kissed her knuckles gently, attempting to soothe her and prevent her from speaking without thinking again.

"Don't say anything else," he muttered under his breath. "We'll speak with your father after breakfast."

Annabeth gave a slight nod that only Percy would notice and went back to her meal.

XXXX

The confrontation with Frederick and Thalia was loud and angry.

"Thalia you know as well as we all do that if Luke builds another temple we could all be killed!" Frederick fumed.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" she cried. Corinna looked close to tears to she lowered her voice. "He listens to no-one and does as he pleases, you know that! Nothing I can say will stop him!"

"Try!"

"I have!"

Then Hilarion, cradled in Annabeth's arms, began to wail, setting Corinna off.

"Keep calm," Percy commanded. "We don't want to attract any unwanted attention."

Frederick sighed. "Perseus is right."

"But we have to do something!" Annabeth broke the silence. "We can't let Luke just do whatever he wants to!"

"We may just have to," Percy answered. "But if there is ever any danger we will leave and find a home somewhere else." He pulled Annabeth into his side and wrapped an arm around her, trying to stop her from worrying. "I promise nothing will happen to you or Hilarion."

"You've said that before," Annabeth said with a soft smile. "And I believe you."

"Good," he replied with his heartbreakingly handsome grin.

"I think if anything bad happens we will all have to leave," Frederick stated. "We would have no other choice than to die."

XXXX

By the time construction on the second temple was half done, Thalia had given birth to twins. The girl looked exactly like Luke, with light hair and blue eyes, shining with a fascination for everything she saw. The boy, younger by a mere two minutes, took after Corinna and looked like Thalia, with electric blue eyes and spiked tufts of pitch black hair. The queen named her second daughter Iola because she was born at dawn. Her first son, and Luke's heir, was named Thanos, meaning 'nobleman'.

Annabeth was pregnant a second time.

Of course, none of the citizens were happy about the Olympians being pushed aside as though they would do no harm yet again and another temple being built. Nothing had happened yet, but it was only a matter of time. Fear was thick in the city air.

XXXX

**On Olympus:**

"Zeus, please," Hermes begged. "Give him another chance! The other demigods are trying to reason with him, at least give them more time!"

"They've had enough time!" Zeus boomed. "He will not change his mind no matter what is said!"

Hermes bowed his head in defeat. "Please… at least spare the people who never turned."

"That is not up to me."

Zeus turned and walked to the centre of the throne room and peered into the images shown on the circular stone table there. He saw Luke standing in his chariot overseeing the construction of his new temple. Luke shouted something and one of his guards walked over to a man who had collapsed in the heat of the afternoon sun. The guard began to whip the poor man and didn't stop until Luke shouted another order a while later.

He waved his hand over the illusion and the picture changed. He saw his daughter, Thalia, sitting in the garden with Annabeth and the four children. The two elder were running around happily, while the twins rolled around on a blanket. He sighed and waved his hand once more, causing the image to disappear.

"I am leaving it up to the Fates," he said quietly, just above a whisper. "I will not lay a hand on any mortal. The Fates will decide."

Hermes grimaced. The Fates would surely not spare Luke, but what else could be done?

"Then so be it," he agreed. "I pray the Fates are kind to the innocent."

"I have seen a portion of what will happen," Zeus admitted after a pause. "Not all the innocent will be spared. Their death's will be at the fault of their so-called king."

XXXX

**A.N.: **_So there it is! Chapter 14… can we try and get to 300 reviews please? I want to try and beat Outlaw :D _

_I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the new cover picture!_

_Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for updates on my writing and maybe even some sneak peeks… (: my username for both is KaylsBookworm (Lower case L, not a capital i)_

_So until next time! _


	15. Chapter 15

Forbidden Romance

Chapter 15

**A.N.: **_Hi! Yes, I am still alive. I'm very sorry for the wait! I would have written and updated last weekend but my dad was visiting and we were away most of Saturday watching my brother play rugby and I had to study on Sunday._

_By the way, you all get virtual blue cookies! Not only did you guys get this story to 300 reviews, but also the last chapter alone, in one week, got a whopping 35 reviews! Thank you so much!_

_I know that cliffhanger was kind of evil, so I apologise for that, too! I love how so many of you panicked and reviewed asking me not to kill the children and just have Luke die. Well… you guys are just going to have to wait and see what happens!_

XXXX

It took longer for construction on the second temple to be completed, as it was so much bigger than the first. Luke grew more impatient with each passing day that didn't see the temple finished. He had a kingdom to run and he couldn't wait around forever, spending his time overseeing the building of his temple! But he was just told over and over that he would have to be patient.

But patience didn't come easily to the young king.

Thalia learned this when raised his hand at Corinna when she had begged him to play with her after he had already refused. The poor little girl just wanted to know that her father recognised and loved her. She wanted to see that it felt like to have a father like Hilarion's. Unfortunately, Luke had no interest whatsoever in his children. All he cared about was power, control and having an heir.

Perseus was a polar opposite when it came to his family.

Every minute that Percy wasn't training new soldiers, strategising with his superiors or on guard duty at the city walls he was with Annabeth and Hilarion.

Percy would often take Hilarion to give Annabeth some time to herself. The two usually went to see the horses in the stables; Hilarion loved the horses.

On their first visit, Percy learned that his son had inherited a power passed down from Poseidon: the ability to speak to horses. Hilarion also seemed to have Athena's intelligence.

There were days that Percy was away and Hilarion would drag his mother down to the stables to that he could talk to the horses. Annabeth would grin lovingly at her son as his chubby little hand clutched hers while he pulled her towards the stable.

One evening, Percy took Annabeth and Hilarion out to the garden just before dinner. They sat down next to the pond, Hilarion completely enraptured by the colourful fish that swam there. Percy and Annabeth were quite relaxed about him being around water after they had discovered that Hilarion had inherited another of Poseidon's powers and could breathe underwater.

As the child happily splashed the water and giggled at the fish, Percy pulled Annabeth into his lap and wrapped his arms around her lithe figure. He placed his hands over her steadily growing belly and kissed her cheek.

"I love you," he mumbled into her hair.

Annabeth realised in that moment how much Percy had given her. Together they had a solid and loving relationship, a perfect son, and another baby on the way… But most of all he made her feel safe and always stood by her.

He was like an anchor, preventing her from being swept away in a life that would have been filled with unhappiness. Percy was reason for her to stay.

"Thank you," she replied.

"For what?" Percy chuckled. "Loving you?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yes, and for everything else."

Percy's confused expression was amusing, and Annabeth decided that it made him look even more attractive.

"What else?"

"Well…" Annabeth paused and inhaled deeply. "For always standing by me, giving me a child, protecting me, and…" She trailed off.

"And what?"

"For giving me reason to stay," she finished. "If not for you I probably would have run away because I was so miserable, and then who knows what would have become of me?"

Percy winced at the very thought. It wasn't easy for young women to travel alone, especially if they didn't have money and the only people willing to give them any assistance were older men with sick intentions. Those women often ended up dead.

"Don't talk about things like that, please," he begged. "It scares me to know that you almost left."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

Percy leaned in to kiss her, and like the very first time it felt magical. So much had changed in such a short amount of time that it was strange that their feelings for each other remained the same. The couple sat together in their bubble of bliss for a while longer, only interrupted by Annabeth pulling away.

"I wasn't ready for you to stop," Percy said breathlessly.

"Neither was I," Annabeth admitted, her cheeks flushed. "But, here…" she took Percy's hand and rested on her swollen stomach, waiting for that sensation to appear again.

Then –

"I felt a kick!" Percy cried. "The baby kicked!"

The excited expression on his face made Annabeth laugh joyously.

"I know," she whispered. "Isn't it amazing?"

Percy nodded his head, a look of awe on his handsome face.

Hilarion toddled over to his parents, curious as to what was so interesting to the two adults.

"Wha'?" he asked them.

Percy lifted the young boy into his arms and smiled.

"Mommy and Daddy are just very happy," he told the child, not wanting to explain the circle of life to him just yet.

"Baby there," he mumbled poking Annabeth's stomach.

His parents laughed. "Yes, darling," Annabeth chuckled. "Baby here."

Their moment of pure happiness was too short lived. A servant appeared through the doors leading into the garden, a concerned expression on his face.

Percy looked up and frowned. Annabeth followed his gaze, her expression matching his. She pulled Hilarion close to her and reached to take Percy's hand with her free one.

"Is there a problem?" Percy asked the servant.

The man shook his head. "No, sir, but His Majesty requests your presence in the dining hall immediately."

Percy tensed. The only times Luke ever sent servants to fetch anybody for dinner was if he had an announcement to make. And Luke's announcements were very seldom good news.

"We'll be right there," Annabeth replied.

When the servant had left she turned to face Percy, her hand still in his.

"What do you think it is this time?"

"I don't know," Percy muttered. "And I have to say that I'm not eager to find out."

XXXX

The atmosphere in the dining hall was tense and on edge. During the meal everyone kept steeling glances at the king, trying to guess what he would tell them this time. Luke pretended not to notice.

When the meal was finished, Luke decided that he had made his company wait long enough to hear his news. He stood up from his seat and cleared his throat; unnecessary seeing that nobody had been talking and everyone had noticed him stand up.

"I have received news that the new temple will be complete in two months."

His voice echoed throughout the room, bouncing off the walls and resonating loudly.

Annabeth glanced at Percy, seated next to her, and then quickly back towards Luke.

"And so," the king continued. "I have decided that to celebrate I will be inviting King Kamvar of Persia for a celebratory feast!"

There was a moment of shocked silence. And then –

"The Persians are our sworn enemies!" cried Annabeth. "Inviting their king here is foolish and dangerous!"

"Shut up, you stupid girl!" Luke roared. "I am the king, not you! I make the decisions, not you!"

"Annabeth, stop," Percy whispered, his voice strained.

Annabeth just managed to prevent herself from another inappropriate outburst. She hadn't realised that she had stood up until Percy gently tugged her arm, forcing her to take her seat again.

"We'll speak about this later," Percy promised.

XXXX

"Luke can't invite the Persians here," Annabeth began. She was standing in her father's study with Frederic, Thalia and Percy. Agathe was looking after Hilarion for a while.

"Why not?" asked Thalia. "We can make a truce with them!"

"Them being rivals of Greece has nothing to do with it," Annabeth explained. "Luke wouldn't let me finish explaining. News had gone around that the Persians recently had the plague. If they're still carrying the disease and they come here we could all be infected."

The small room was eerie, the silence almost tangible.

"So, if the Persians come here because Luke has invited them we could all die?" Percy asked summing everything up.

"Exactly."

Frederick ran a hand through his hair. "Thalia, you and I need to speak to him, convince him that inviting Kamvar here is a mistake."

Thalia nodded. "We can only try and hope for the best. Luke doesn't appreciate being told what to do."

XXXX

Luke was not convinced.

"They're probably not contagious anymore," he argued. "Nothing will happen."

The date the temple was due to be finished drew nearer and nearer, people grew more and more nervous. Luke seemed to be the only person convinced that nothing would come of the Persians visiting.

XXXX

**A.N.: **_I wrote more on this than I planned to! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you thought? Let's try and beat 35 reviews to a chapter! _

**Review replies: **

_Guest__: I can't remember ever saying that Helen of Troy fits in here… remind me if I've forgotten_

_Guest__: sorry! I hope it still made sense, I forgot that I had mentioned that already…_

_Another guest__: wait and see…!_

_PJO FAN__: where? I didn't see it!_

_Hockeygirl05__: don't worry, you won't miss much. I just give notice on updates and maybe show a line or two of dialogue as a teaser. _

_ElmoDaHorse__: it's here! :D_

_I love this__: thank you so much!_

_Guest__: Ancient Greece…_

_Howlsong12__: I might, but that will come in later._

_I wish I could have replied to all the reviews but I didn't have time. Until the next chapter guys! Oh, and wish me luck for my exams? I have geography on Monday… I'll try to update soon, promise! _


	16. Author's Note

_Sorry about the wait, guys! If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you will probably know that I've had a bit of a major problem with my laptop... I may have spilt some chai tea on the keyboard and now it won't work. I'm trying to get it fixed but there hasn't been any luck yet. I'm looking at getting a new one, but I'm not sure if that will be possible for a while. _

_I'm currently using the family PC, which I don't like doing in case my stories are found by my brother (cringe) or my mum (cue loads of questions). _

_So it might be a while before another update, and I'm really sorry for how unreliable updates of this story have been! But I will never give it up; I will finish writing it to the last word! I just need you guys to please be patient._

_I really love this story and I enjoy writing it, but I haven't had as much fun with it as I wanted to, and that might be why I have felt uninspired and always take ages to write and update chapters. _

_So, please be patient, I will update as soon as I possibly can! _

_Thanks for your support and I apologise if you got excited over this only to find that it's an AN. _


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